Jono Lancaster has a great job, a loving girlfriend and a winning personality, but when people look at him the first thing they see is his rare disorder.
Jono was both with Treacher Collins, a condition that affects 1 in 50,000 people. It affects the bones and tissue in your head. In Jono's case, it means he has no cheekbones and needs a special hearing aid.
Growing up with Treacher Collins was hard. Jono's parents put him up for adoption when he was less than two days old, and he says he struggled with depression as a teenager. So when he found out about Zakary Walton, a 2-year-old from Australia with the same condition, he flew to the Walton's home in Adelaide to visit him.
Jono read a story about Zakary online and decided to visit, so he would know an adult who was living happily with Treacher Collins.
"I would have loved to have met somebody like myself when I was younger ... somebody who had got a job, got a partner and said to me 'these are the things you can do, you can achieve'," he told the Adelaide Advertiser.
"I grew up with Treacher Collins and 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."
Zakary and his family showed Jono the local landmarks and they spent time playing together. Afterwards, Jono spent another three weeks in Australia, touring the country and educating children about his condition.
It took Jono years to accept and love the way he looks, but he hopes with the great example he's set for Zakary, he'll have a much easier time.
