Jonathan “Jono” Lancaster was just 36 hours old when his birth parents left a Yorkshire hospital without him. Born October 31, 1984, with Treacher Collins syndrome a rare genetic condition that left him without cheekbones, with an underdeveloped jaw, and small ears he later called his “little Bart Simpson ears” the newborn’s appearance, according to adoption records he later read, left his parents “horrified.” They felt no bond and signed over their rights.
After two weeks, Jean Lancaster, who is a foster parent, took him home. He was adopted by her formally on May 18, 1990, when he was only five years old.
“How can you not love a kid?”
Lancaster once said about the instant bond she formed. Jean brought him up in an open environment and with constant love in West Yorkshire. He could easily cope with primary school in her care, but secondary school saw him suffering from stares, bullies, loneliness, and self-loathing.
In his mid-20s he accessed the adoption papers and read the stark language about his parents’ reaction. He contacted them through an agency, writing that he was doing well and open to meeting. Their formal reply, signed by both and involving a solicitor, stated they wanted no contact and further attempts would be ignored. The second rejection stung, yet he chose to respect it.
“They brought me into this world and it’s down to me to live this life and make the most of this life,”
He has said.
“And it’s a beautiful life, now anyway, so for that I’m forever blessed.”
Gradually Lancaster stopped measuring his worth against his face. Supportive relationships and moments of genuine acceptance shifted his view. In a recent LADbible interview he explained,
“Every time I smile, I have one dimple, my blue eyes change colour depending on what I’m wearing or my mood. My ears, they don’t get cold in winter, they don’t pop on flights and I absolutely love them. I absolutely love my beautiful face.”
His acceptance turned into purpose. Lancaster founded the Love Me, Love My Face Foundation to help individuals with Treacher Collins or other craniofacial syndromes. His foundation provides a community, assistance, school presentations, and an important message that no kid feels alone. In 2023, Lancaster published his memoir Not All Heroes Wear Capes, hosted Channel 4’s Love My Face, and meets families from all over the world. The recent Complex article about him got thousands of likes; it is simply another retelling of his life story which he has told for years.
Treacher Collins syndrome is a condition with various symptoms and severity, but not the one that affects intellect. Lancaster works on boosting confidence and sense of belonging, not on “fixing” someone’s face. Lancaster still sees himself as a man who can look a child with a difference straight in the eye and stay there.
