We sometimes hear about somebody who comes from the depths of despair and goes on to inspire many people. This includes a little boy who was abandoned at birth because he suffers from Treacher Collins syndrome.
Treacher-Collins Syndrome does not occur very often but when it does happen, it can cause difficulties with seeing, breathing, and hearing. It does not have an impact on the intelligence of the individual, but they may be rejected, which can be very painful.
Only about one out of every 50,000 people are born with this condition. It can cause facial characteristics that slant the eyes downward and can misshape the ears.
One individual who was born with this condition is Jono Lancaster. After he was diagnosed with TCS, his parents were told that he would likely never talk or walk. He was then put up for adoption after two days.
His foster mother, Jean, saw a little baby that needed some help. She fell in love with him and five years later, she adopted him. Since that time, he never forgot what she did for him.
He said: “This lady may be a little short in height, but this lady has the biggest heart out of every one I’ve ever met. This lady has been a foster carer for 30 years, she loves and has given herself to so many.
“This lady cried every time a child moved onto another foster home as she felt somehow she had failed them. This lady despite been a single mom in her 40’s took me on despite not knowing what the future held.
“This lady adopted me and along with Claire and Stephen gave me an amazing family. This lady is an angel, sent to me when I needed one the most.
“This angels name is Jean, my mum, my hero.”
When Jono was in his early 20s, he finally accepted himself for the way he was and he was no longer shy about it. He said: “I’ve had to be positive throughout my whole entire life. Everybody just looks at me and underestimates me, and I’ve always had to prove people wrong.”
These days, he is in his young 30s and has a girlfriend that he met at the gym. He advocates for others who have TCS and uses his own experiences to help groups around the world.
Although he could’ve gone through reconstructive surgery, he felt the need to face up to what he was. He said that God made him like this and he was born like this for a reason.
Rather than feeling sorry for himself and hiding away from the world, he decided to put his best foot forward. He wants all of us to believe in ourselves, be positive, and love who we are.
You can learn more about him in this documentary.
