A man put up for adoption when he was a newborn baby revealed he was snubbed by his birth parents again, 20 years on, when he tried to make contact with them.
Jono Lancaster was just 36 hours old when his birth parents abandoned him at the hospital the day after he was born. Jono suffers from rare genetic condition Treacher Collins Syndrome. It affects the development of the face and sees the bones and tissue grow at a different rate.
Growing up, Jono faced cruel taunts from classmates and strangers. But, after finding himself at a “really good place in life” thanks to adoptive mum Jean, Jono decided to try and reconnect with his birth parents. They handed him a further cruel blow, though.
Jono Lancaster given up for adoption
Jono was a tiny baby when his biological parents gave him up for adoption. He was born in West Yorkshire in October 1984 and quickly put into social care. He was later adopted by Jean Lancaster.
Jono recalled: “She always told me that she couldn’t help but smile when she first saw me and she felt an instant connection when she held me,” Jono previously told Mail Online.
Regarding this subject, we do not want any contact and further attempts will be ignored.
Having always known that he was adopted, by the time he reached his twenties, Jono was in a “really good place in life”. As a result, he wanted to find out more about his birth parents. After seeking out his adoption records, he wrote his birth parents a letter telling them he was open to meeting them.
‘We do not want any contact’
However, when the letter came back, he was sadly dealt a further blow, some two decades on.
Jono revealed he received a letter back two weeks later. He said it read: “Regarding this subject, we do not want any contact and further attempts will be ignored. And they both had signed it. It hurt, but I took pride in that I tried. And, with the support I had around me and the mindset that I had, I went on in life full of love and grateful for the life that they gave me.”
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So what’s Jono doing now?
Now in his late thirties, Jono set up a charity in 2019 called Love Me Love My Face. He’s also a model and inspirational speaker. Plus, he’s written a book – Not All Heroes Wear Capes. It came out last month.
He’s also married to fitness instructor wife Laura.
Read more: Obese and overweight people have different shaped brains, scientists discover
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