Dear Nick,

An excellent commentary.  My own sister was disfigured, not in the same way as the boy you pictured, but disfigured still.  She had a genetically inherited disease that way back then (1950's) was incurable.

They called it "gargoylism".

My sister passed away at age six in 1953 due to complications of this disease.  I wish she were still here.

Midge

I try to tell Cait that when you see someone that looks different - close your eyes, listen, & see what you feel. As a kid I learned this from our neighbor who had adopted a baby that was disfigured by abusive parents.

Smiles & giggles come in many different ways - but they all warm your heart - if you let them.

Sheryl

Hello Nick

A while ago now I used to work for Barnados (a childrens charity here in the UK). In my job I visited many of the homes around England.  In one of the homes locally there was young boy who was born without a nose and the doctors were gradually rebuilding with grafts from here and grafts from there.  Getting to know this youngster and you could not ask for a more normal kid - and so cheerful despite his affliction.  Within time the doctors rebuilt the nose but  despite their best efforts it was  still not normal and this young lad took a lot of stick from the other kids.

Cat Stevens "Morning has Broken" always reminds me of this time in life and this young boy in particular, and how cruel the world can be. Then I would see the other side and watch people go to great lengths to raise money for this charity.  There are always two side to a story thankfuuly - and no matter how hard and disgusting one side can be it is balanced by the bright side- and that is the side I always try and look on.

Have FUN - we do

Graham
(Muriel and Graham)

My Dear Friend Judy

This is dedicated to your very caring cause

God Bless people like you

 

 

It just might be the most effective, impactful donation to a charity you ever make. 100% of your donation will go towards programmes that help children, 0% will go to overheads.
  The free cleft surgery your donation will help provide is a true, modern-day medical miracle: it costs as little as £150 and takes as little as 45 minutes.
  That’s all it takes to give a desperate child not just a new smile, but a new life. When you see the impact your donation has, you’ll end up smiling too.

Dear William

I sir must applaud you for your point of view! It must be obvious that I did not write this article for a person like yourself. Unfortunately, not all mankind can accept the not so pretty, or a person with a handicap. We as a race in general have expectations of what is perfection and what is not. Anybody would be more than happy to shake the hand of a handsome, rich, well groomed person with no hesitation, yet this person could be a cold blooded serial killer who is totally insane, and we shun the ones who look shabby, long hair, unshaven with no money and this person could have a heart of gold who gave his last $20 to help feed a child. If there ever was an invasion from space I bet my last dime the human race would come together as a United Brotherhood excepting all races, colour, religion, and yes, handicapped – May God watch over all of us my brother!