Woman with 'lazy' eye never wants surgery to fix it – and 'feels sorry for trolls'

Elley Davies recently went viral for fighting back against trolls online, after she was teased for years because of her ‘lazy’ eye. The 18-year-old from Pembrokeshire, Wales, has racked up a huge 251,000 TikTok followers making her an internet sensation.

While working as a shot girl in a club and studying at college for her beauty therapy qualification, she is paving out a career online. After being diagnosed with an ‘eye turn’, known officially as strabismus, at the age of four, Elley has always been seen as ‘different’ from others.

Having refused to wear glasses through her childhood, her ‘turn’ progressively became more prominent in her left eye which has made her almost 80% blind - making her right side work for both. However, it is this ‘difference’ that has made her feel happy within herself – despite what trolls say. Elley has admitted that she never wants surgery to ‘correct’ the turn that has made her reach internet stardom.

In an interview with the Daily Star, she explained: “Surgery is another scary thing I’m afraid of, and not only because of the procedure. I’ve accepted that I will look like this forever. And I’m okay with that if I do look like this forever. I’ve accepted that I’m happy, I’m breathing, I’m walking, talking, I’m living - just like any other normal person, it’s irrelevant.

“When my nan passed when I was around the age of eight, she was the most incredible, inspiring and heart-warming woman I ever had met - she taught me many things...

“She passed of cancer, at that age you don’t really understand the feeling of losing a person, as when you do when your older, as I grew up I felt like the acceptance was her shining through me to tell me ‘I can do and be whatever I wanted to be’ if I just put my mind to it. 

"And she taught me that even in sickness, you are beautiful. I believed that unless I’m incapable of living, I have to live life to my fullest like she and everyone wants me to and I’m so happy that feeling occurred in me."

Elley has used the self-love she learned from her late nan to battle the trolls that lurk in her comments section online.

She said: “People who are hateful towards my appearance because of my eye, I feel sorry for them, I do. It’s a shame the world can be such a judgemental place, especially to people like myself who can’t help being born that way.

“However, I’m okay with hate because there are people who just don’t understand what it’s like to have a visible insecurity, we all have them, mine just happens to be out on show which makes them think they’ve got the advantage to judge. But I see it as I’ve got the advantage to be bold with my insecurity/condition and stand out."

The teen added: “Yes I’m still human, I still read them sometimes and get upset but that’s completely normal, sometimes I even comment back on things agreeing with the trolls. I just want to show I’m not bothered because I’m not! I’ve accepted the way I like and I’m okay with it.”

However, it is not always hatred that is targeted towards Elley. She has shared that she feels ‘accomplished’ for being able to inspire others with the same condition to feel more confident within themselves.

Elley voiced: “Besides the hate, yes I receive so much amazing support, it’s an amazing feeling, especially from people who I admire myself, they make me feel 'normal' should I say. I also receive messages from parents and how their children have the same condition and that my confidence has made them more confident, and it’s so inspiring.

"I didn’t know that being myself, my true self, without hiding it behind my hair, could inspire so many people! It’s such an accomplishment!

Previously, Elley told the Daily Star that she wishes to become a model and continue working on her social media presence.

Full of ambition, the teen said: "I’d love to be a model, like I said I’m confident in myself, but I’d love someone to be confident in me, that would be my dream career. 

“I'd also like to carry on TikTok and growing my platform there, and my socials too.

“If I’m honest I just want to give back to my family and be able to provide for them and help them in any way possible.”