A man who faced vicious bullying throughout his life after being born without a jaw has finally found love.
Joseph Williams, 41, from Chicago in the US, was born with an incredibly rare condition called otofacial syndrome.
The condition means Joseph, who works as a welder, cannot talk and communicates via sign language and writing notes. He also eats by putting blended food into a tube that goes to his stomach.
When Joseph was born, he went straight into the operating theatre so surgeons could attach a fake jaw to his face.
He said: "I had a bone and skin graft as they tried to construct a jaw for me, but as I grew my body rejected it and it was unsuccessful."
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Eventually Joseph was put up for adoption by his birth mother, and although he found a loving family, growing up was tough for him.
"Being born like this has caused me many problems, but I have tried not to let it affect me," he said. "I can't eat, speak or even breathe properly."
He added he used to face cruel bullying at school, and often had people run away from him because of his appearance.
"I understand that I am different and that some people will think I am ugly and not accept me, but I am still a person who has a heart, feelings and a brain," he said.
"I should be treated with respect, just as anyone else should be."
Joseph said he has no issues with answering questions about his condition and he wishes more people would just ask, rather than pointing and staring.
The welder's condition affected his confidence growing up, meaning that he often shied away from dating - but he never wanted his condition to hold him back.
He said: "I had such low self-esteem and felt worthless, but when I started believing in myself and realised I deserved more I ended up finding my wife."
Joseph met Vania, 39, in 2019 and the pair are now happily married.
"We met work towards the end of 2019. We got talking and she admitted she thought I was a gang member and that's how I lost my jaw," he recalled.
"We were friends at first, but we eventually started dating and fell in love. We got married in 2020. I'm sure people would never have expected me to get married. To be honest, I didn't think I would either."
Although Joseph is a welder by day, his real passion is music and he hopes to become a professional DJ one day.
He said: "I can sometimes struggle with communicating but music is a way for me to express myself."
Although Joseph is much happier in himself now, he admits there are still times when his condition can make him feel low.
"Although sometimes I want to hide away from the world and cry, I have to remember that there is a reason that God made me like this," he said.
"He gave me this load because he knew I could carry it. Being born without a jaw has given me a different outlook on life and it has made me who I am today."
