Parents are known to love their children unconditionally; however, this does not always hold true. Sadly, some children don’t get to enjoy their parents’ unquestionable love.
A similar thing happened to Jono Lancaster. He was born in a UK hospital in 1985. When his parents saw him for the first time, they were horrified as he was not a normal-looking baby.
So, they abandoned him at the mercy of the hospital administration only thirty-six hours after he was born.
Lancaster was born with a genetic condition called ‘Treacher Collins syndrome’ or TCS. The chance of getting affected by this syndrome is 1 in 10,000 children in the United Kingdom.
The hospital staff then contacted NHS Social Services and sought help.
Social Services found a kind lady named Jean looking to adopt a baby. When Jean first saw Lancester, she didn’t get scared. Instead, she told the nurse that she wanted the baby.
“When can I take him home?” She asked.
So, luckily, the poor little Jono found a new mother in Jeane. She embraced him as if he was her actual son.
She took care of Lancester and gave him so much love, care, and support that he was fond of her in no time.
Meanwhile, she kept reaching out to his biological parents but never heard from them.
So, after waiting for five years, Jeane officially adopted Lancaster on May 18, 1990.
Although Jeane loved him with all her heart and cared for him, she couldn’t save him from the hate and cruelty of the outside world. Kids bullied him for his looks. Sometimes when he would go to the park to play, children would run away from him, screaming.
So, Jono had a rough childhood. He didn’t like how his face looked and hated himself for being ugly. He was ashamed of his looks and avoided looking in the mirror.
Things remained the same until he reached his mid-twenties. One night, he was working his shift in a bar when a guy came in. he was funny and sweet and chatted with Jono. They spent hours talking and laughing. It was the first time Jono made friends with someone who didn’t make fun of his looks.
This changed Jono’s perspective on life, and he realized that not everybody likes to make fun of him and that the world has some good people too.
Later in 2015, he met a girl named Laura at the gym where he worked as a fitness trainer. She liked Jono, and one day, she asked him out. The two got along really well, and Lancester thanked God for being kind to him and blessing him with a partner.
Today, Jono travels the world, meets kids who have TCS like him, and encourages them to harness the greatest tool against their genetic condition – the tool of positivity.
In October 2021, he spoke at the NORD Breakthrough Summit in Washington and shared his story.
“I was born with a genetic condition that affects my facial features. I have no cheekbones, so my eyes dip down. I love my little ears; they don’t get cold at night. But I do need hearing aids.”
I’m one of the lucky ones. More severely affected individuals need help with feeding and breathing. I met some kids who’ve had more than 70 surgeries to correct problems that would make their lives easier. He continued.
“The past five years have been crazy, with media coverage, and I’ve even done some modeling. It took me 23 years to accept my face and who I am.
He further said that,
So what’s changed? People are still the same. My parents still want nothing to do with me. What’s changed is my attitude, and that’s so powerful. I believe in myself instead of allowing negative energy to bring me down. I wouldn’t change any of it. My attitude was more disabling than anything. With the right attitude, you can achieve anything.”
You can follow this truly inspirational man on Instagram & visit his charity here.
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