Simon Moore, 30, was born with Treacher Collins Syndrome. Treacher Collins Syndrome affects one in 50,000 babies and is characterised by craniofacial deformities such as the absence of cheekbones. He is also profoundly deaf. As a result of his differences, he has faced cruel abuse throughout his life. He’s from Wymondham, Norfolk. People have stared and pointed at him and taken pictures of him and even called him cruel names, according to METRO.
He and his wife, Vicky, met five years ago at a sign language class, where she fawned over Simon’s hearing dog, Foggy, and married in 2012. They wanted to have a child. They knew the risks could be anywhere from their child having mild hearing loss to even having no facial features whatsoever. But they took a chance. They had to undergo IVF. The couple could have paid for treatment to detect and destroy any embryos carrying the Treacher Collins Syndrome gene, but they decided against it. They decided that they would have their baby and love her no matter what. A video link can be seen here .
Their daughter, Alice, was born with a milder form of Treacher Collins Syndrome than her father. Alice has full cheekbones and only the slightest gap below her eyes, which makes them droop slightly. The girl has a constantly runny nose. However, her chin doesn’t recede like in the classic case of Treacher Collins Syndrome. But she has a high palette that can make feeding times difficult and time-consuming. Unfortunately, Alice can end up hungry most of the time and wake up for an hourly feeding, according to Express.
Unfortunately, many people have been quite cruel, saying that they should have aborted Alice. In response, Simon Moore has said the following in the METRO.
“[I] never wished for Alice not to have TC. Even though I grew up with all the problems and complications it really didn’t bother me either way whether she had it or not. We all knew if she had it that she’d be surrounded with people who loved her whatever. There’s nothing on this planet anywhere near as special as Alice. She’s changed my life. There’s no doubt about it. She’s her dad’s little girl and I will tell her she is beautiful every day.”
And Alice’s Mom Vicky stated the following, of how loved her daughter is and how openly cruel adults and children can be because of her daughter’s differences, according to METRO.
“We knew there was no guarantee how bad the TC would be, if the baby would have it at all. It could have been as minor as a slight hearing problem, to being born with no face whatsoever. It was 50/50. You go with what medical professionals advise you and they supported us all the way with our decision. Ultimately, we didn’t care if our baby had TC… People literally stop dead in their tracks and point at her. Some have even said ‘ugh’ and laughed. I get asked if I’m their [caretaker], and they look shocked when I tell them I’m his wife, and her mum. Some people are blissfully unaware of their own ignorance, while others are just plain nasty. Children are the worst because they just say what they see and don’t realise how mean they can be. One child took one look at Alice and called her a gargoyle.”
What do you think about people making unkind comments over a beautiful daughter who just happens to be a little different?
Another set of parents knew they were going to lose their bundle of joy, but made the decision to save another life. Little baby Teddy was a true hero. Although his body was too weak after birth to cling for life for more than minutes, his organs were donated to save another. Prior to his birth, his parents, Jess Evans and Mike Houlston, made the heartbreaking decision to donate their tragic baby boy’s organs to help save another’s, according to an article in the Inquisitr.
[Photo Via YouTube]