For one-year-old Kinara, even falling asleep can become a difficult part of the day.

Instead of resting peacefully like most children her age, the little girl often sleeps with her eyes partly open. Her mother, Siti, carefully uses medical tape to help protect Kinara’s eyes from becoming too dry while she sleeps.

Kinara was born with craniofacial dysostosis, a rare genetic condition that affects the development of the skull and facial bones. As she has grown, the condition has caused noticeable changes around her face and eyes, leaving her family facing challenges they never expected.

Her days can be filled with discomfort. Kinara frequently cries and experiences pain around her head and eyes. She also has a lung disorder that affects her breathing, meaning that even simple moments can sometimes become difficult for the little girl.

For her parents, Siti and Yusup, watching their daughter struggle has been heartbreaking.

They have spent countless nights caring for Kinara, comforting her when she cries and doing everything they can to make her more comfortable. But their journey has been made even harder by hurtful reactions from people who saw their daughter as different.

“I could only cry every night because Kinara was often teased,” Siti shared.

Still, despite everything she has faced during her first year of life, Kinara continues to show remarkable strength.

She has learned to endure difficult nights, repeated discomfort and breathing difficulties while her parents remain by her side. Every smile, every peaceful moment and every day she manages to get through gives her family another reason to keep hoping.

Doctors have recommended that Kinara undergo surgery as soon as possible. However, the treatment could cost hundreds of millions of rupiah — an amount far beyond what her family can afford.

Her father, Yusup, works as a watch repairman. His income depends entirely on whether customers come to his small shop. On a good day, he may earn around Rp70,000, but there are also days when nobody comes in and he earns nothing.

For a family already struggling to meet everyday needs, the cost of Kinara’s treatment feels impossibly far away.

Yet Siti has never stopped hoping that her daughter will one day have the opportunity to receive the care she needs.

“If Kinara is given the chance to get better, I will do everything I can for her,” her mother says.

Behind Kinara’s difficult journey is a little girl who simply wants the chance to grow, play and experience childhood like other children.