A British man affected by Treacher-Collins syndrome has travelled to Australia to meet a toddler with the same condition.
Jono Lancaster, 30, lives with the condition, which prevents the skull, jawbones and cheeks from developing fully.
In mid November, he flew to Adelaide, Australia to meet two-year-old Zackary, who has the same condition, after the boy’s mother contacted Jono on Facebook.
Speaking to the Adelaide Advertiser, she said: ‘Jono is a celebrity to us — he’s a huge inspiration.’
‘When he said he was coming to Australia, we knew we had to meet him and it’s made us so happy to see Zack meet someone like him.’
Jono explained that as well as meeting Zackary, he is travelling around the country to meet other children with the condition, in the hope that he can inspire them to lead fulfilling lives.
Me and the kiwi kids #auckland #kiwi great to see them all bonding and making new friends pic.twitter.com/PNjqLSQFAo
— Jono Lancaster (@Jono_Lancaster) November 30, 2014
He told the Adelaide Advertiser: ‘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 has since continued his travels in Australia and New Zealand, posting pictures on Twitter of all the children affected by Treacher Collins syndrome that he has met during the trip.
Had the great opportunity to meet this little cutey in Perth. #perth pic.twitter.com/inyxuifzDk
— Jono Lancaster (@Jono_Lancaster) November 28, 2014
