. a lot of the kids just make fun of me how i look. i can't really leave the house ever. and i want people to see me. >> they say beauty is only skin deep. >> that's not what makes a person a person. >> but try telling that to kids who were laughed at and bullied. >> he just said donovan why don't you kill yourself? >> i know it's hard tweetty. >> depressed, hiding from the world. >> they wouldn't like he because of my looks. >> a program that uses surgery as a way to stop the bullying. >> it would probably change my whole life in a good way,

though. >> it's a controversial step. >> doesn't it put the burden on the victim as opposed to the bully? >> tonight, will fourteens choose a drastic solution? >> how does it feel being beautiful? >> or learn to put on a brave face? >> bullies need to be left in the dirt. >> here is "second chances." ♪ ♪ your lives would be a complete mystery to us if we weren't sometimes haunted by our own teen years. the pressures to fit in, the anguish to be understood. it's a time when we first learn we could be alone even with people all around us. >> people that have called me names are sitting in the corner. >> they were saying ugly. they would laugh behind my back.

it was really bad at school. >> people don't think jocks get bullied or teased, but my case i guess it's different. >> these teens have been picked on, laughed at and physically harassed and blame the bullying on one thing, their looks. >> they would refer to me as an animal with a bird or a beak and making fun of me. >> they would call me the girl with the big nose. >> why don't you have a chin? buy one at walmart. >> to rebuild their shattered confidence, they decide sd on the same extreme course of action and we'll follow every step of their controversial pursuit, one with physical risks and psychological uncertainties. >> i just really need help. we begin their story with this girl from south carolina named renata. >> a lot of kids make fun of me how i look. it just really hurts, and i

can't get over it. >> when we first met her, she was 14 and would spend her days almost entirely at home watching tv or playing video games. >> she has no friends. she keeps to herself. she's just missing out on things that can never be replaced later on. >> but renata's momma shell says it was never like this. describe her back then. what type of little girl was she? >> very outgoing, a ton of friends. she was involved with different social activities. >> contestant number 13. >> including beauty pageants. renata compete in a few of them when she was eight. >> i just like dressing up and being pretty. >> uh-huh. >> and i like being in front of people. >> by the sixth grade something happened to renata. >> she became quiet and withdrawn. i asked her what was wrong. she would say nothing is wrong. nothing is wrong.

>> she resisted going to school complaining she felt ill or wasn't learning in class. after struggling michelle decided to home school renata through online classes. >> i didn't want to see her be unhappy. i didn't want to see her unhappy. >> but it took renata two more years until she finally told her mother the truth. she didn't want to go to school because some classmates teased her about her nose. they would call her ugly. why wouldn't you say to your mom, mom, look, these kids are starting to pick on me and i'm getting depressed? >> i figured she would go to the school and that would lead to more problems. >> did you think maybe what they are saying was true? >> uh-huh. >> you were in pageants, same face girl. why can a kid change your mind about who you are, do you think? i know it's hard, sweetie, i know it's hard. >> she was so depressed by age

13, she would hardly leave the house. when her mother made an appointment for her to see a mental health counselor she refused to go. by then she decided there was only way to make things better, to change her looks through cosmetic surgery. >> every time i look at myself, i just think i'm getting more uglier. i'm never going to have any friends, or anyone to be there for me because i can't really leave the house ever, and i want people to see me. >> while many adults unhappy with their looks turn to cosmetic surgery, it may seem like a radical response to bullying, especially to a teen who is growing physically and mentally. might renata grow out of this. >> in life we go through faces. i hate my hair. it's not so bad. i thought my name was so weird, now i like it.

i thought i wanted to be helen. do you think it's a face? >> i guess in a few years from now if i didn't change anything i would feel the same way because of what the kids were saying about me, i would still feel bad about it. >> the cost of elective surgery made it an impossible solution for renata and her mom but they heard about another 14-year-old girl who said she was bullied because of her looks and transform her appearance through surgery donated by a group called the little baby face foundation. after seeing that story on the news, renata's mom made a call. >> i spoke to a lady. her name was diane and she told me that i needed to submit an application online for renata. >> so renata's journey would begin with this, the story in this letter. >> i tried convincing myself that i'm fine the way i am, but i just don't believe it anymore.

>> coming up, is renata making the right choice? >> are we saying the responsibility falls on the kid who is bullied to alter themself surgically? we lowered her fever. you raise her spirits. we tackled your shoulder pain. you make him rookie of the year. we took care of your cold symptoms. you take him on an adventure. tylenol® has been the number 1 doctor recommended brand of pain reliever for over 20 years. but for everything we do, we know you do so much more. tylenol®.

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traumatized by bullies who made fun of her looks, 14-year-old renata was becoming more isolate the day by day. her mother michelle says two years of home schools had not made her daughter any happier. >> she wants to go back to school, and i want her to go back to school. it's just that she's not going

to go back until she feels better about herself. >> renata gave up hope the bullies would ever change. >> they would just keep picking on kids. >> and that convinced her she had to change through cosmetic surgery. >> if i had this operation done, i would probably change my whole life in a good way, though. >> can a knife change how that are feel sng. >> i think it makes a difference. >> a plastic surgeon and his wife diane run the little baby face foundation. based out of the private practice in new york, the non-profit treats low-income children with facial deformities. >> you take a child and change the way they look to anybody who sees them, they are good looking, that gives that child strength. we can't go after the bully. what we can try and empower is

the children. >> each year hundreds of children apply to the down fashion and it could take several months to decide which kids the doctors will treat. "dateline" was invited to witness the process. >> this is the meat and potatoes of the foundation. this is why we volunteer. >> inspired by his overseas mission, dr. romo wanted to do the same in the u.s. and he recruited some of the best plastic surgeons in new york to help him. >> they said how much fat do you want to suck and how much bobs do you want to do? they will say you treat real patients. >> their work didn't gain much notice until they decided to treat that bullied teenager. like renada she said she was picked on because of her looks. she asked for her protruding ears to be pinned back. the foundation offered to do

that and more giving her a nose job and chin implant, as well. when her makeover made the news, it sparked a wave of criticism. >> are we saying the responsibility falls on the kid who is bullied to alter themselves surgically? >> psychologist vivian says elective surgery as a remedy for bullying sends a harmful message. >> we have to address the idea there should be zero tolerance of bullying. >> there was one of the kids we talked to who said look, if it stops the bullies, great i want to do it. because if we try to change the bad guy, we'll be here forever. >> i suppose one way to look at this is is there some benefit to learn how to struggle with adversity? we're not convipsed confidence is gained by changing the way you look. >> despite that criticism, applications to the foundation soared, many of them from other bullied teens. >> we could get 60 in a day. we respond to every one of them.

>> but the romos says an applicant, even a bullied one must have a facial deformity to be considered. >> let's talk about the word deformity because that scars me a bit. when i think deformity, i think of like a cleft lip, something you look at and say wow, that needs to be fixed. when you say deformity, you see something else, something out of sync. >> there is a spectrum. some are really profound, some are minimal but there is a facial birth abnormality. >> he believes facial surgery could be helpful. >> do you feel like the bully wins? the beully bullied them into getting plastic surgery. >> they have to have a facial birth defect and may go back and are the best looking kid in the school, now they are not getting bullied anymore. that may be the feedback of a patient you operate on the heart and they are jogging again.

>> doesn't that put the burden out the victim as opposed to the bully? is that sending the wrong message? >> i don't think it's sending the wrong image. she sees what she sees and has an effect on herself esteem and confidence regardless. >> what do you think of that question, renada? >> if they see you getting the surgery, i think it would make them feel bad and maybe change their mind about doing it. >> let me look at the pictures and see what is going on here. >> will the romos consider their case a facial deformity worthy of help? >> we only help children with birth defects and i look at the parents' income to make sure they couldn't otherwise afford this and then for this story. >> i am write thing letter to you -- >> to check on the status of my file and to thank you for considering me. >> this letter was from a 16-year-old in illinois named conner.

>> i don't like my face because i peel like everyone is looking at me or talking about me and i get made fun of it. >> conner was born with a minor cleft lip and the surgery left a scar but it's his nose he says that made him an easy target. >> it makes me feel self-conscious and makes me shy, especially around girls. i wouldn't mind dating right now. >> is there someone you like? >> i guess. yeah, i would ask her out after i got my nose done. i don't know if i would ask her like right after. i come from a very large family of eight, and it's difficult for my parents to afford my procedure. >> this is my sister page and my sister george. i don't really look like them that much most people would say. >> his older sister saw conner struggle more and more. >> when he gets all eyes on him and the attention, i feel like that's when he's self-conscious about it, like don't look at me. >> but he's never had a date to

dance. i feel bad for him. >> there are people who will say conner, you're going to grow into your looks. have you thought about waiting and seeing? >> i did but i don't really want to wait. >> conner's family members including mom kimberly hope the foundation would choose him if in fact the surgery could make conner happier but as other bullied teens apply in droves to be selected, some of their parents weren't sure surgery would help. >> i hate to see him put so much emphasis on one feature. that doesn't make a person a person. coming up, one teen who thinks surgery for her bullied son might be a mistake. >> how much would his life really change? i would love to see him discover it's not the out ward

is changing a face the best way to change a life? >> people would just come up to me and be like why don't you have a chin? everybody should have a chin.

>> the story is familiar but no less painful for the kid living it. we met a student from wisconsin when he was 16. his name is donovan. >> there were times where people would walk around with their heads cocked back or something to look like they don't have a chin to mock me. high school is hell. my chin has caused me to become more reclusive. i do have a few guy friends. they are kind of disbursed. they are my friends, i think. are they are my friends? >> i don't know why people have to be mean. >> what was it like walking the halls? do you have to look over your shoulder? >> it was a war zone, being cornered or tripped or punched in the shoulder. >> donovan said the bullies would deny what happened so the school rarely took action. >> i almost had to deactivate my facebook account because of bullying. donovan is gay. don't talk to donovan.

>> what did they say that pushed you to the edge. the same guy that posted on facebook, he said donovan why don't you kill yourself tonight? it would be better for everybody. >> you never considered anything like that? >> a few times but i've never gotten so close to the edge this i'm not able to return. >> donovan applied to little baby face, hoping the group's doctors would face the chin. >> surgery is dramatic. why do you want to take such a dramatic step? >> i believe if it's not there, peep won't talk about it. >> it would stop. >> yeah. >> really? >> i know there will be backlash like he's the one that lost, but i think i would be the one that won because i did something about it. >> uh-huh. >> to make it stop. >> donovan's parents and brother supported his pursuit of surgery. >> a long-term goal will soon be achieved. >> wow. >> that's a sign of good things to come. >> but when her son wasn't around. >> he was all cheeks, but he definitely had a chin, little

protruding chin. >> donovan's mom sue said she had mixed feelings. >> if he did have the surgery, how much would his life change? i would love to see him discover it's not really the out ward appearances all of a sudden that would make his life complete, but that he's learned to put his best chin forward. >> psychologist vivian diller agrees and says parents should know cosmetic surgery not only has physical risks but psychological ones, too. >> in my practice i do hear regrets. >> you do? >> they complain they don't look like their family anymore, i kind of miss my face. >> dr. diller sees a better long-term solution for all three of these teens. >> if you can find a way of enjoying how you look, you can gain the confidence that will last you a lifetime. >> this young girl seemed to prove that point. she was born with a rare condition common recalled bppf that affects the appearance of her eyes, though, it has taken

years, she says she's built the confidence to be herself. her name cheyenne. >> there are some days i feel i'm not pretty or i'm not normal, but other days i'm like oh, okay, i don't care what people think. >> standing by her side, her mom jamie. >> it's tough being a military family and moving often. she goes through a lot at every new place, but she's been so strong in doing it. >> cheyenne went through several corrective surgeries but didn't see improvements when she looked in the mirror. >> you must have been over surgeries for awhile, right? they are not working. why do you keep doing them. >> a few years ago, i lost hope. >> but what she lost in hope, she gained in fortitude and sometimes she says she can see herself as beautiful. >> i see prettiness sometimes, but then when i go back and look at the picture like what was i thinking? >> when you hear your daughter

speak like that, i feel pretty and sometimes i look back and say what was i thinking? >> cheyenne's mom wanted her daughter to embrace who she was but also wondered if there was a surgeon somewhere who could make si cheyenne's eyes look more normal. she was not sure if she should expose cheyenne again to the risks of surgery or more disappointment if she wasn't chosen. >> you just don't want to let your child down ever. >> secretly jamie applied for her daughter but when "dateline" asked to documented the application process, she decided to talk to cheyenne about it. >> what do you think if you didn't get picked? >> i would be sad but i would get over it. >> not everybody looks the same. >> yeah. >> but you can still live a normal life and be beautiful and be out going. if you don't get picked, i would feel bad because i would feel

like i brought undue stress. >> i did open this door, would it be opened unnecessary. >> renata didn't want to get her daughter's hopes up and a call from the foundation might actually turn her daughter's life around. >> i'm very hopeful they will choose you. it's all i think about. >> in the meantime renata agreed to see a mental health counselor. she is a i jins elective surgery to build self-confidence. >> my goal is to help hershey herself as beautiful and i hope she won't want the cosmetic surgery anymore but i guess that's her choice and decision. what kind of negative things would you think? >> i guess that i'm just nothing. >> is that the reason why you think you're staying in the house so much? >> yeah, that's a big reason

why. >> renata's mom hoped therapy would help since there is no guarantee she would be picked for surgery. while all these teens waited for decision, some would take the brave step to solve problems on their own. >> coming up, conner decides to confront his fears and friends head on. >> does it bother you when people talk about your nose? >> does it make you feel bad? [ male announcer ] winter olympian ted ligety cannot take a sick day. [ coughs ] [ male announcer ] so when he catches a cold, he's got to power through it. ♪ vicks dayquil. powerful non-drowsy 6 symptom cold and flu relief. winter olympian ted ligety can't take a sick day tomorrow. [ coughs ] [ male announcer ] so he can't let a cold keep him up tonight. vicks nyquil. powerful nighttime 6 symptom cold and flu relief. ♪

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several months passed while these four bullied teens waited to hear back from a plastic surgery foundation that might just change their lives by changing their looks but just being bullied won't get them chosen. >> we're not a bullying foundation, but we have kids with facial birth defects that are bullied. >> she's 14 years old from alabama. >> cheyenne was born with a condition bpef, here the foundation doctors debated if they could improve upon the surgeries she had had before. if they decided they couldn't help her, she wouldn't be coming to new york. >> she had reasonable work done. this is very, very hard to fix. >> it was still unclear if renata's and connor's noses and donovan's chin qualified them. >> there is a fine line with

helping somebody with cosmetic surgery or a facial birth defect. >> as the foundation considered that question, we found donovan alone sitting in his room on prom night. >> prom is going on and i'm here. i do not care. ♪ ♪ >> i've heard it be called a right of passage for some people. to some it's just another night. >> conner, too, had never been to a high school dance with a girl. >> they wouldn't like me how big my nose is. >> there isn't just insecurities around girls, conner's buddies were part of the problem. >> they make fun of each other but. >> but you feel like you get the lion's share. >> though he still wanted surgery, conner decided to bravely tackle problems head on by letting his friends know how much the teasing affected him. >> does it bother you when people talk about your nose or no? >> kind of because like some people i think they are talking about me.

>> what name gets to you the most? >> there is a few. the one you guys made up is tucan. >> that's a joke -- >> with you guys i'm all right with it because everyone does it but there are people i'm not friends with -- >> how long have you been picked on for? since you were a little kid? >> since seventh or eighth grade kind of. >> geese. >> it was the first time conner had ever opened up to his friends this way. >> i feel bad when i make fun of conner because it's like something he can't help. i don't know if he takes it seriously or not. never really asked him, you know. >> we never really asked him. >> does it make you feel bad? >> a little. >> tucan and all that. >> anything you want to say to us? >> not really. >> want us to stop? sglp th sg >> they asked you does it bother you. >> yeah. >> what did you feel like when

they asked you that question? >> it was weird. >> did you feel better if they didn't call you the names they called you? >> i feel better, i guess. >> you opened up like this to us, take it easy on you. >> could this breakthrough with his friends give conner the confidence he had been looking for all without surgery? >> as she waited for the foundation's call, she opened up about her insecurities here, as well, with her best friend savannah, but savannah was expressing doubts about the surgery. >> do you think you need to do it? >> surgery? >> yeah. >> no. >> you feel like you don't want to but you need to. >> why? >> i don't want to be different. >> you don't want to be different? >> i do but i don't. >> then cheyenne asked a question, one that suddenly revealed the heart of the matter. >> how does it feel being beautiful? >> why are you asking me that? but i'm not that pretty.

>> yes, you are. >> no, i'm not. >> yes, you are. >> no, i'm not. >> seriously. >> you still want me to answer that? >> yes. >> it's not great. >> why? >> you still like -- people find every reason to hate on you. >> it was the first time cheyenne heard this perspective from a friend that looks don't always equal happiness. >> boys are irrational. they don't just pick on the funny looking kid. they pick on the kid they feel is weak and i don't know if that makes you strong because you have your nose fixed. i think you may still be that same insecure kid still. >> part of that dynamic of bullying and the child being bullied is the child that's being bullied. if you self-empower. >> right. >> that child and they don't look at themselves that way, the loss of self-esteem, the anxiety, depression, the suicidal tendencies, if you can roll that back then the bullets that are coming in from the

bully may not have that same effect on the child. >> while dr. romo believes plastic surgery may not be for every child, he cautions against judging parents who feel this is right. >> don't be pc and feel like they shouldn't have the option. >> while renata waited on a decision, she continued to go to mental health counseling but the counselor didn't see any progress. in fact, she saw a girl so walled up in herself isolation that it was the counselor who changed her mind about surgery. >> knowing renata, i do think that it would help her to feel better about herself, much, much sooner than just having counseling. she's making herself anti social. i'm closing the door behind me. i'm not home. i don't want to be part of that. that's why i would say her situation is more extreme than other situations. >> will the people in new york evaluating renata's case agree. >> hello? >> hello, renata?

>> coming up, who will be chosen for possibly life-altering surgery. >> oh, my god -- >> and who won't? when "dateline" continues. ♪ [ male announcer ] we all deserve a good night's sleep. thankfully, there's zzzquil. it's not for colds, it's not for pain, it's just for sleep. ♪ because sleep is a beautiful thing™. ♪ zzzquil. the non-habit forming sleep aid from the makers of nyquil®. ♪ wishin' and hopin' and thinkin' and prayin' ♪

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cases. >> hello? >> hello renata? >> yes. >> my name is diane and i'm with the little baby face foundation. >> she had been working for months thinking a straighter, smaller nose would silence the bullies and improve self-confidence. >> i'm looking at your beautiful picture you sent us and i'm reading the beautiful letter you wrote. i want to invite you to new york to see if we can help you. >> are you serious? >> i'm serious. >> thank you so much. you made me so happy. >> i'm glad you're happy. i can see you smiling through the phone. >> that was great. she's going to come out great, too. >> i'm so happy. oh my gosh. i can't believe i'm going. >> i can't believe they chose you. that is awesome. >> next, conner, his friends promised to stop making fun of his nose, but will the foundation offer to fix it? >> i have a doctor who is going

to work on your cliff lip, and i have another doctor that will do your nose. >> thank you. >> you are welcome. all right. let me talk to your mom so i can explain all this. >> children that are born with cleft lips, they also have a cleft lip nose deformity and they look like conner. so conner's nose wasn't so much it was big but his septum was obstructing the left arch way and the arch of his nose was unsupported. >> what are you thinking about? >> how i will look after surgery. >> i was wondering what he was thinking because he wasn't saying much, but i'm sure he was pretty happy. >> i'm so happy for you. >> then donovan's turn. he asked the foundation for a more prominent chin, but mom thinks he should keep his head up instead. >> how are you? >> pretty good. >> i know you were bullied when -- because of your chin. but i want to tell you something, when i look at this application, i see this hand

some 16-year-old guy who from the pictures that you sent me, it really just looks like you need a very minor cosmetic procedure, and it really doesn't fall under our mission statement for the baby face foundation. >> okay. >> it's a pretty big disappointment. i guess i can live with it. >> what was it about him that made you not select him? >> i really felt his case was cosmetic, and other children had more severe issues than his. >> donovan's mom hopes her son will bounce back. >> you have to do a lot of inner soul searching to find that part of you that gives you strength. >> and finally, cheyenne. she tried to correct her cries through surgery before, though she learned to accept the way she looks, her mom decided to give it one more try. >> this is a difficult case. i'm still looking at that beautiful case, but i'm just trying to figure out how our doctors can take care of you. diane told cheyenne her eyes would not be easy to fix, but she also told her to pack her

bags. >> here she is. >> i just explained to her we've been trying to figure out what we could do to help, that the only way that we'll know is to invite you to new york for a couple of days, and then make a plan. >> okay. >> opening a closed door can sometimes be overwhelming. >> that would be wonderful. >> don't cry because if you cry i cry. if i cry my mascara goes forget it, we're done. >> thank you so much. >> this is the best part about my job, making this phone call. >> how do you feel when your mom gets emotional about -- >> i don't like it. >> you don't? >> no. >> how come? >> because there is no reason. >> welcome to new york. renata went directly to her

presurgery appointment with dr. romo. >> what we're going to do is straighten the septum out, then we're going to take this little thing down and make this whole thing smaller, okay? >> thank you, so much. >> renata once you pinned her hair back had a diagnosis of what's cahalf the face that's smaller than the other side of her face, that's why this nose is leaning to the left. >> is that unusual? >> it's not that unusual. it just doesn't get treat that often. >> then he unveiled his treatment plan. >> so it will balance her face. >> it involved more than just a nose job. he recommended a new chin, as well. >> it's just something i'm thinking about, something we may want to do. >> wow, we're pointing out something else that she wasn't even worried about. >> when someone comes into me about a nose problem, i pin their hair up because i want to look at the whole face, the

nose, eyes, lips, jawbone, all have a relation. >> down what he was talking about? >> yeah. >> what do you think about that? >> it's a big decision. >> it's a huge decision. >> i don't know what would be better. >> you don't have to -- if you don't want to change anything else, you don't have to. >> if you looked at me and were to say to me, that chin and i might say i think i'm fin with my chin, i promise you dr. romo every time i look in the mirror for the next five years, i would be looking at my chin because a doctor says there is an issue with it. she's a vulnerable kid, she's going to do whatever you say period. >> it's the doctors responsibility to point those out. i know when they are going to have a more successful result. >> cheyenne spent a day seeing specialists. at the end dr. romo had disappointing news. >> your eyelids could be brought up higher, the problem is you

couldn't close them. >> we couldn't make her eyes higher. >> but dr. romo still saw a surgical solution. instead of operating on cheyenne's eyes, dr. romo recommended a nose job and pinning her ears. >> one of the ways to make the eyes look bigger, so to make the nose smaller and deflect the look of where the ears are. >> just setting this back -- >> it seems like it's additional sugary and work that will change the way your daughter looks. >> first of all, i'm concerned about any surgery. >> yeah. >> you know, that's concerning. i leave the ultimate decision up to cheyenne because it's her body. >> what do you feel? >> i know i'm beautiful but i know some things you have to change to make yourself more happy. >> during conner's evaluation dr. romo also recommended a new chin to go with a new nose. conner and his mom agreed. >> they have a chin bringing that out just a bit, it opens

the face up. >> renata decided to take dr. romo's advice, too. >> i decided that i'm going to get the nose and the chin done. i thought i would just trust him because he knows what he's doing. ♪ ♪ >> i've come this far. >> this is a big moment. >> see you later. >> as they headed into surgery, all three imagined sweet dreams. >> sweet dreams. >> not for when they close their eyes, but for when they open them again. coming up, the bandages come off. how life has changed for the three who had the surgery. >> this dress is my prom dress. >> and the one who didn't.

time of operation, two hours

30 minutes. >> can the confidence and self-esteem of children be lifted the way a face can? dr. romo isn't trying to give these kids complete makeovers but believes shawl surgical collections make a big difference. >> the changes are subtle in the eyes of the beholder. the children don't consider them so subtle. >> when we first met renata she was so self-conscious about her looks, she rarely left the house. >> i don't go to regular school because a lot of the kids just make fun of me, how i look. >> now she was about to see her new nose and chin without bandages for the first time. >> wow. >> isn't that great? >> yeah. >> now, it's swollen. it's going to go down. >> you look gorgeous. >> how straight. >> you look gorgeous renata. >> i really love it. >> it could not be more perfect. >> what a beautiful woman. >> it just looks really amazing

and you can see the bump is gone. it just looks perfect to me. >> she has not been this happy in years. i couldn't wish for a better result. parents correct children's teeth with braces to make their teeth straighter. they are still the same kid on the inside, but unfortunately, people are judged on how they look, and i think that's what happened to my daughter. >> when we visited renata a few months after her surgery, things had changed dramatically. >> i've been going off the computer a lot more, and i've been going out a lot more. i was much more, you know, willing to talk to people that she sees and she's just happier in general. my daughter is here to see the guidance counselor. >> do you have a moment? >> yeah. >> after nearly three years of home schooling, renata has finally decided to return to a close room. >> a lot of people say high

school is the best time of your life. i want to experience that, too. >> awesome. so you're excited. >> i feel happy, and i feel confident, and i feel like i don't have to hide myself anymore. >> and now, conner. he wanted a smaller nose hoping it would make himless self-conscious around girls. >> i think it affects how i talk with girls because i feel like they wouldn't like me because of my nose or appearance. >> so he changed his appearance with a new nose and a chin implant. >> it's been about two months since i had surgery and i'm doing really good. no one saw a huge difference. they say i look a little different. >> conner says he definitely felt different after the surgery and he saw a difference among his friends, too, though that started happening even before he left for new york. >> they stopped giving me a hard time. probably said a couple things, not like as much as they did before. >> he says he may finally ask a girl out.

>> the chances of asking someone this year than last year probably higher because i'm not that shy anymore or anything. >> cheyenne's case was the most complicated. her eyelids couldn't be pulled any higher, so doctors made her nose smaller and pinned back her ears, all part of the illusion they hoped to make her eyes appear larger. >> i love my nose. it was a potato nose dr. r ocom called it. >> this dress is my prom dress. i like the color of it. >> the change i see right now is kind of what i imagined. i like it the way it is. >> the friend most eager to see her was savannah. she never thought cheyenne needed surge are you but likes the results. >> she does look different but not that much, which is what i was worried about in the first place.

she was beautiful the way she was and still is and the only thing that came out of her going to new york was me missing her. >> cheyenne says she is finally at peace. >> i think i'm done because i like the way i look now. you know, if anyone has a problem, i don't care. >> it's going to help them go to college. it's going to help them get a job. it's going to help them be social, when they otherwise wouldn't. the bully will be left in the dirt. >> and donovan, he was disappointed when he wasn't chosen. we paid him a visit five months later and he told us he had a profound change, too. he now says not being picked for surgery turned out to be a blessing. >> i'm feeling good about it now. i don't have to have the surgery after all, and it just is kind of a weight off my shoulders. >> in fact, he says keeping his weaker chin gave him a stronger voice. at school he started a campaign to raise awareness about bullying, passing out wrist bands and collecting donations for a local anti bullying

charity. he already felt the impacts on a personal level. >> a lot of people opened up to me and apologized for all the years. >> he dated a girl for several weeks and took her to his homecoming dance. >> i learned there are actually people out there that care for me and like me for who i am. >> mom sue says she couldn't be more proud of her son and his change of heart. >> he's grown stronger, more confident, and i think that's what is going to take him through this world and make him the person -- the best person that he can be. >> all the teens we met are happy with the paths they took, though it may take years before they know the lasting effect of having surgery or not, but if there's one thing they can count on today, thirteen years with all that pressure and anguish will not last forever.

>> that the all for now. i'm lester holt, thanks for joining us. >> from nbc news in , the world's longest running television program, this is "meet the press" with david gregory. >> and good sunday morning. all eyes on new jersey, of course, but it's not just today's super bowl at metlife stadium that has people focused on the state. new jersey governor chris christie, it could be a big moment for him, obviously, with the super bowl there. instead he's also in the fight of his political life. he's got new charges he's facing now that he knew about the lane closures at the time they were happening. but there's been no evidence provided to backup those claims. is this truly a bottom shell or is it nothing? how much fight does president obama have left in his second term? dpard to