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A nursery school has banned a two-year-old girl from attending because staff fear her deformed skull will scare other children.
The parents of Sofya Zakharova claim they have been told she will be enrolled at her village nursery once she has had surgery to change her appearance.
The tot, who lives in a village in Bashkortostan, Russia, is due to undergo surgery but it has been repeatedly put back.
Local charity Rainbow of Goodness is fighting the case for the family but the nursery is refusing to back down.
Medics are unsure what condition Sofya is suffering from but it has left her with a wider skull and forehead and some fingers and toes fused together.
Staff reportedly told mum Svetlana Zakharova: "First, you need to arrange an operation so she can go to nursery school like an ordinary child."
Experts have warned that Sofya's development could be damaged if she is not given the chance to interact with other children.
Ekaterina Belan, an educational psychologist, told local media: "The sooner she gets the experience of interactions, the easier it will be for her to cope with the conditions in which she lives and grows.
"The more interactions she gets, the easier it will be for her to accept herself for who she is."
The family's local authority are investigating the nursery and why her operation has been delayed repeatedly.
They also hope to find a new home for Sofya and her parents as they currently live with her grandparents in a house with no running water, stove, or central heating.
Radiy Khabirov, head of the Bashkortostan government, said officials intend to rehouse them before the winter and he will personally follow the case to ensure it is resolved.
He said: "I understand that if it were not for the intervention of the charitable foundation, there would have been no meetings on this and no relocation.
“It's already clear that the rights of the child and parents are violated, and there will now be an appropriate legal assessment."
What if teachers too wore uniforms?
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