Success in today’s society revolves around moving up while attempting to blend in as much as possible. Because you are viewed as “strange” or “abnormal” if you don’t fit in or are a little different from others.
It’s a depressing outlook on life that places an excessive emphasis on how we appear and how we stack up against our peers.
Just ask Jono Lancaster, who is human just like the rest of us but has regrettably been painfully reminded numerous times of how cruel the world can be.
In October 1985, Jono Lancaster was born in England, but the hospital staff noticed something unusual about him almost away.
Treacher Collins syndrome, a rare prenatal condition that causes facial bones to form asymmetrically, affected the sweet little child.
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The physicians informed Jono’s parents of the diagnosis and added that he would probably never be able to walk or talk. Jono’s parents, who were startled, gave up on him since it was too much for them.
“My parents were completely shocked when I was born. After 36 hours in the hospital, I was discharged. Social services were able to get care for me. At the 2015 Nord Conference, Jono recalled that the foster care provider was a woman named Jean.
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Less than two days after Jono was born, his parents abandoned him and gave him up for adoption. Social Service was called by the hospital, and a great woman by the name of Jean Lancaster adopted and raised Jono.
When Jean first saw the young boy, she wasn’t horrified or frightened. She simply lifted him up and a bond immediately developed. When can I take him home? Jean asked the nurse as she turned to face her. ”
He received the affection and attention he required from the beginning from his foster mother, and Jono couldn’t have asked for a more loving or devout mother.
Even though Jono’s mother gave him a lot of support, the early years of his life were characterised by a lack of sympathy from the outside world.
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Jono began to recognise himself when he started attending school. He realised right away that he didn’t look like his classmates.
“I kind of felt like I was by myself and that I was the only person in the world who was like me,” the speaker said. I wondered, “Why did I have to wind up looking like this? People are lucky enough to win the lottery or they become professional footballers, physicians, or lawyers.” In an interview with Adelaide Now, Jono commented.
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It’s crucial to understand that Treacher Collins syndrome has no impact whatsoever on a child’s IQ. The only thing Jono’s classmates were interested in was his appearance. They used to pull faces and flee, stating they didn’t want to catch his “sickness” from him.
“I used to keep my mom informed about my discontentment. In an interview with the BBC, he said, “She had already done so much for me.
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However, Jono refused to give up and let the bigots triumph, and he had a wonderful woman by his side.
Jean, Jono’s foster mother, made an effort to reconnect Jono with his parents. But she took the next step and adopted Jono on May 18, 1990, after they hadn’t answered her letters for five years.
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I now have two birthdays. At the 2015 Nord Conference, Jono remarked, “I used to tell other kids that my mom went to the hospital and she looked at all the infants and she chose me, whereas their parents had been stuck with them.