Marlon Vera’s daughter Ana Paula suffers from a rare syndrome. The 13-year-old is ‘Chito’s’ eldest daughter. She suffers from the Moebius Syndrome, a rare, non-progressive neurological disorder that affects the facial muscles and nerves. In such a condition, the individual’s facial nerves are not fully developed and hence they are unable to smile, chew, or close their mouth. The disorder is so rare that doctors do not know much about it.
In 2011, Marlon Vera and his wife Maria Paulina Escobar welcomed Ana Paula into the world. However, Vera knew something was wrong as soon as he saw his daughter.
Doctors later confirmed his suspicions, stating it to be a Moebius Syndrome, after ruling out possibilities such as Down Syndrome. Vera is an out-and-out family man and thus, the UFC bantamweight began fighting for his daughter, so she could have a better life.
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The Ecuadorian fighter has come a long way from his UFC debut. Back in 2018, he set up a GoFundMe in order to get a crucial surgery for his daughter. The MMA community banded together and contributed nearly half of the total $50,000 for the surgery. Luckily, Ana Paula is now finally able to grin following her surgery.
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Marlon Vera’s eldest daughter currently seems to be healthy and thriving despite the initial concerns regarding her health. In one of his first interviews for the UFC, he broke down after talking about his daughter’s condition.
Marlon Vera broke down talking about his daughter and explained why he needs to get into the UFC
Marlon Vera made it into the UFC through The Ultimate Fighter. The Ecuadorian was a part of the first TUF Latin America series where fans were impressed by his story. In a video that went viral on social media, he broke down while talking to ESPN MMA about what he will do if he gets into the UFC.
“The first thing I’ll do once I am in the UFC is pay for my daughter’s surgery, because I have never seen her smile and that’s why I’m working here.”
This story is amazing
Early in his career, Chito Vera fought to earn enough money for his daughter Ana Paula’s surgery, who has Moebius Syndrome. He followed through on his promise in 2018 ❤️ #UFCSanAntonio
( @ufc) pic.twitter.com/k3X07yzClr
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) March 24, 2023
The video went viral on social media with fans rooting for the Ecuadorian. Marlon Vera also has the name of his eldest daughter, Ana Paula on his shoulder. Her daughter is the main reason why he began fighting and from very early on, he knew he had to do well in the UFC if he wanted to give his daughter a better life. Needless to say, Vera has already achieved his goal.
