Jono Lancaster had cards stacked against him from the day he was born. His parents made the decision that they were not going to take him home from the hospital.
Lancaster was born with a syndrome called Treacher Collins. It is a rare disorder that affects facial structure and hearing abilities.
Having this syndrome means a number of hospital visits and surgeries. The parents were just not willing to keep him, so Jono was abandoned.
But Jono was only alone for a few days thanks to the quick work of social services. An angel was found named Jean. The moment she saw baby Jono, she knew that he belonged to her.
“How could you not love a child?” she said after hearing his story. “When can I take him home?” was the next question she asked.
Jono grew into adulthood and shared his story with the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) Breakthrough Summit back in 2015.
“I was born with a genetic condition that affects my facial features. I have no cheekbones, and so my eyes dip down,” he said. “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.”
Then Jono talked about Jean, the woman who gave him a loving and forever home.
“Jean adopted me on May 18, 1990 – so I get two birthdays!” he said. “I used to tell other kids that my mom went to the hospital and she looked at all the babies and she chose me, whereas their parents had been stuck with them.”
Jono lost a lot of self-confidence during adolescence. “When I became a teen, I began to think, why me? That snowballed into thinking about my birth parents. Parents are supposed to love you no matter what, even if you rob a bank. How would I ever have a family? Who will want me?” he said. “I started to hate my face. I became aggravated at not being able to change the way I looked. I avoided looking at my reflection, even in windows walking down the street. I was ashamed of the way I looked.”
Today, he has a partner and works as a motivational speaker. Jono makes sure he spends time with young children who have the same syndrome as him and helps them accept themselves the way they are.
“So what’s changed?” he said. “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. Instead of allowing negative energy to bring me down, I believe in myself. I wouldn’t change any of it. My attitude was more disabling than anything. With the right attitude, you can achieve anything.”
Watch:
