A baby who was born with a rare genetic disorder that causes facial deformities was given a poor prognosis by doctors and abandoned by his birth parents. However, he got a second chance at life when he was adopted by a Christian family who supported him through surgeries, an autism diagnosis, brutal bullying, and countless battles for acceptance.
Today, that man is 47-year-old Dr. Francis Joel Smith of Denver, Colorado, who is a medical research scientist, public speaker, and advocate for others with the same diagnosis as his: Treacher Collins syndrome.
For some, the wildly misunderstood condition is almost invisible, but for Smith it was life-threatening….