Although we are gradually removing that viewpoint, we are still judged on our appearance. For example, when a guy with tattoos and a hoodie passes next to police officers, they may become suspicious and have them searched.

It’s a horrible way of looking at life, yet that’s how most people judge: the exterior appearance is our initial impression.

Jono Lancaster had a difficult upbringing. He has the same flesh and blood as him, yet his distinct physical features frequently reminded him of how vicious some people can be…

Jono Lancaster was born in England in 1985, yet he didn’t look like the other babies.

Treacher Collins syndrome is a rare genetic condition characterized by characteristic deformities of the head and face.

The doctors informed Jono’s parents that he would most likely never walk or speak. His parents were so stunned by the diagnosis that they abandoned him after he was born.

“My parents were really taken aback when I was born. I was discharged from the hospital 36 hours after my birth. Someone was found by social services to look after me. “The foster carer’s name was Jean,” Jono recalled at the 2015 Nord Conference.

Jono’s parents abandoned him for adoption when he was just a day old. Thankfully for Jono, a great woman named Jean Lancaster adopted and raised him.

Unlike his parents, Jean had an instant affinity with him when he took him up. She immediately turned to the nurse and said, “When can I take him home?”

Jono was raised like any other family member, with care, love, and devotion from his mother.

Although though Jono was raised decently at home, he had a difficult childhood because of those who evaluated him based on his appearance.

When he started to school, he became more self-aware of himself and how he seemed.

“I kind of felt like I was on my own and I felt like I was the only one out in the world that was like me. Many win the jackpot or become great footballers, doctors, and lawyers, but I wondered, “Why did I have to wind up looking like this?” In an interview with Adelaide Now, Jono stated.

Treacher Collins syndrome has no effect on a child’s intelligence, yet his classmates were primarily concerned with his appearance. They used to avoid him, claiming they didn’t want to catch his “sickness.”

“I used to keep my dissatisfaction from my mother. “She’d already done so much for me,” he explained to the BBC.

Jono had been a fighter since the beginning, and he wasn’t about to be turned down because of his appearance. His mother, a kind and caring woman, taught him better.

Jean, his foster mother, attempted to reconnect him with his original parents for five years before taking the next step — adopting Jono on May 18, 1990.

“I have two birthdays!” “I used to tell other kids that my mother went to the hospital, looked at all the infants, and chose me, whereas their parents were trapped with them,” Jono remarked at the 2015 Nord Conference.

In an emotional Facebook post from 2015, Jono stated unequivocally that he will never forget his foster mother.

“This lady may be a little tiny in stature, but she has the largest heart of anyone I’ve ever encountered. This lady has been a foster carer for 30 years and has given herself to numerous others. This lady grieved every time a child was transferred to another foster care because she thought she had failed them in some way. Despite being a single mother in her forties, she took me on despite not knowing what the future contained. This lady adopted me and, along with Claire and Stephen, provided me with an incredible family. This lady is an angel, given to me just when I needed one.

Jean is the name of this angel, my mother, my idol.”

As a teen, Jono became rebellious in order to divert attention away from the true issue: his physical traits. He drank a lot and used to bribe people with candy to make them like him.

“I was feeling so isolated.”

Jono opted to follow a different path with the love and care of his foster mother. He became a positive influence by using his individuality to serve others.

Jono, a 37-year-old adult, dedicated his life to helping people with TCS. He’s also been working as a team leader for adults with autism.

He is now a beacon of hope and support, advising parents on how to provide a bright future for their children who are battling the same disease.

“My parents still don’t want anything to do with me,” he explains. “What has changed is my mentality, and that is what makes it so strong. […] I wouldn’t change a thing. My attitude was more incapacitating than anything else. You can do anything if you have the correct mentality.”

Jono Lancaster’s spouse
Jono met his wife, Laura Richardson, while working as a fitness instructor in 2015.

They fell in love, and unlike most people, Laura accepted him for who he was. She saw his nice, kind, and generous character, as well as the one-of-a-kind individual that he is.

Until he met Laura, Jono assumed he’d use adoption to start his own family.

“I’ve always wanted to be a father. I crave father-son interactions – my adopted mother was wonderful, but I never had a father role in my life, and that’s something I desperately want. “I want to do the school run and take my child to dancing, gymnastics, or football – whatever they want,” Jono said to the BBC in 2011.

According to Jono, any child he fathers has a 50% chance of having TCS, thus the prospect of bringing a child and going through what he did was terrifying. Despite the fact that Jono was born healthy, many children with TCS have serious medical issues.

So perhaps adoption was the best solution, Jono reasoned.

“That worked incredibly well for me, and I think giving a youngster a second chance is great. Yet Laura believes she will have those instincts of wanting to carry a child, and she is concerned that she will find it difficult to care for someone else’s child – or that the child will simply want to locate its own parents. She also wants our child to be “our” child. And I genuinely want to look after her when she’s pregnant, whether she’s on the sofa or I’m running downstairs at 2 a.m. when she wants a pickle.”

Laura and I grew apart after ten years together. Jono revealed his choice on Instagram, writing:

“Myself and Laura spent ten beautiful years together before deciding to part ways since we weren’t growing as a pair. It was all about mutual respect and had nothing to do with beauty.”

Some of his fans expressed sorrow and advised Jono to stay hopeful.

“I don’t believe breakups can ever be made to sound good. “It was heartbreaking,” Jono explained.

Although Jono’s tale is tragic, it is also very inspiring! I sincerely hope Jono’s story receives the exposure it deserves in order to give hope to those who desperately need it.

No one should be evaluated just on their physical looks!