Despite it all, Jono didn’t give up.
Jean tried to reconnect him with his birth parents. When that failed, she adopted him on May 18, 1990.
“I get two birthdays! I’d tell kids my mom chose me,” Jono said at the 2015 Nord Conference.
As a teen, Jono was rebellious. He drank and tried to bribe people to like him.
“I was so alone.”
But with Jean’s support and his own strength, he turned his life around.
Now 36, Jono helps people with Treacher Collins worldwide and leads a team for autistic adults.
He meets kids, gives hope, and talks to parents. He’s an inspiring speaker and educator.