We live in a society where success is measured by how far you can get ahead while trying to blend in. If you don’t conform or stand out in some way, you’re often labeled as “odd” or “abnormal.”

It’s a discouraging perspective on life, one that places too much importance on appearances and comparisons to others.

Take Jono Lancaster, for example—a person made of flesh and blood just like everyone else, yet who has often faced the harsh reality of how unkind the world can be.

The little boy was diagnosed with Treacher Collins syndrome, a rare genetic condition that caused his facial bones to develop asymmetrically.