Fun-loving Jean never thought she’d find her Mr Right as she was born with a condition called Apert syndrome, which causes facial malformation. Cruelly dubbed ‘ugly’ by bullies, she was self-conscious about her appearance and had given up all hope of getting married and having a family of her own. But all that changed when she met Martin, who Jean says has finally made her ‘feel beautiful’.
Jean shares her touching story in this week’s Pick Me Up.
Born with Apert syndrome, Jean has spent her whole life defending herself from cruel bullies who call her ‘ugly’. Her condition affects just one in in 200,000 births in the UK and causes malformations of the skull, face, hands and feet. Following her birth 26 years ago, doctors warned her parents that she wouldn’t live past her third birthday. But Jean defied the odds and two years ago found love with Martin, who has cerebral palsy. Now the couple hope to get married and start a family.
As seen in the New Day.
Ollie Trezise is a happy little boy who loves splashing in his paddling pool and playing with his big sister. But there’s something very special about him…he was born with an encephalocele, which meant that his brain grew through his nose! As a result, when the adorable tot grew, so did his nose – just like the Disney character, Pinocchio.
Proud mum Amy Poole shared her story in this week’s Chat magazine to help parents of other children with visible disfigurements. She’s been at the receiving end of cruel comments from strangers about Ollie’s appearance but says she wouldn’t change him for the world.
If you’ve ever been taunted because of your appearance, organisations like Changing Faces can help.
Charlotte Brazier