According to the dictionary, a book is a written or printed work consisting of pages glued or sewn together along one side and bound in covers. Whenever we go to purchase a book, the first thing that attracts us is its cover. Most people usually judge a book by its cover without checking its content. This situation can also be seen in our lives. People judge a person by their clothes or looks. They don’t try to see their inner side- i.e., their behaviour, attitude, or knowledge.
There is a common proverb…the one which shines is not always gold!
A person who dresses well and has fair skin or good looks doesn’t say that the person is a good human being or doesn’t give the idea about that person knowledge. Everyone is unique in their way. And their beauty can be understood if we try to find their inner self, not by their appearance.
In this article, you will get to know a person who was judged by his cover(looks) when he was born and has now inspired millions through his pages.
Jono Lancaster is a motivational speaker whom his biological parents abandoned within 36 hours after he was born because he looked indifferent. Getting abandoned by his parents and becoming a motivational speaker was a challenging journey for Jono.
Jono Lancaster was born with Treacher Collins Syndrome in October 1984. Treacher-Collin Syndrome (TCS) is a genetic disorder that prevents the bones and tissues in a person’s face from properly developing. As a result, a person with this syndrome is characterised by deformities in the chin, cheekbones, eyes and ears. The degree to which a person is affected may vary. A mutation in the TCOF1 gene results in this syndrome in individuals. This syndrome affects 1 in 50,000 people. The most common symptom of Treacher-Collins Syndrome is an underdevelopment of the lower jaw and underdevelopment of the zygomatic bone. Other symptoms are a retracted tongue, poor occlusion of the teeth, small and malformed external ear, hearing loss, drooping of upper and lower eyelids, vision loss, dry eyes, heart defects, etc.
John Lancaster, after his parents abandoned him, was adopted by Jean Lancaster when he was five years old, on 18 May 1990. He knew that he was adopted, and he proudly said to his friends that their mum and dad got stuck with them, but his parents chose him. Jean Lancaster was a single mother who took care of Jono and made appointments with doctors to treat him. Jono’s classmates bullied him in school, but he survived there. But as years passed, he began to feel insecure. He came to hate his face and started to develop unhealthy coping strategies. Whenever he looked into the mirror, he felt angry and hatred towards his face increased. In the end, he stopped looking at his face in the mirror. In his early 20s, as advised by one of his friends, he took up a job in a nightclub, although he was not interested. There, he met a girl who was his co-worker. She said that she loved his face, which changed his outlook on life. He then began to feel confident. Another incident was while working in a gym, he noticed that he had blue eyes and a dimple, which he had never seen before. He then began to love his face.
In his mid-20s, he decided to find out his birth parents to tell them that he was living happily and would like to meet them. He collected their details from the adoption agency and wrote a letter for them. Two weeks later, a reply came that they didn’t want to have any contact with him. His biological parents once again abandoned him.
John Lancaster is now a motivational speaker and has already given talks worldwide. In 2019, he launched his charity called the Love Me Love My Face Foundation to create awareness about the Treacher Collin Syndrome and help the people affected by this condition. He has also published a book titled ‘Not All Heroes Wear Capes’, which tells about his life experiences and how he overcame those situations. This book is meant not only for people affected by the Treacher Collin Syndrome but also for others struggling with various problems in life. This book teaches about the importance of self-love and acceptance.
In this world, who became upset about having a pimple on their face, a person like John Lancaster is a true inspiration. He became his own hero.
His story teaches us that everyone has difficulty and no one has a perfect life. But the one who faces this situation fearlessly and seeks a solution is the most successful in the world. A fair person doesn’t indicate he will lead a happy life. A rich person does not guarantee he will lead a peaceful life, and neither does a person who is dark-skinned or poor, which doesn’t mean that they could not have a better life. It all lies with that person and how they see life.
The whole story tells us, “Don’t judge a book by its cover”!
By: Adithya Surendran
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