The beautiful thing about living as a human on planet Earth is being able to see how incredibly different each and every person is. Unfortunately, not everyone sees it the same way. There are way too many people out there that judge others on the way they look, dress, and live their lives, and instead of worrying about themselves, some decide to bully those that are different. It’s a sad fact that many people who get bullied end up trying to take their own lives because they can’t handle the constant feeling of being hated. This man was one of those people, but instead of giving up, he pushed through and became a huge success!You see, Dr. Goodman was born with a condition known as Treacher Collins syndrome. Treacher Collins syndrome is a genetic disorder that affects the way facial bones develop. “The mutation responsible for the syndrome affects the development of the external ears, middle ear bones, cheekbones, and lower jaw,” explained Dr. Goodman. Despite not having any control over his condition, kids gave him an extremely hard time.
The children were cruel and he couldn’t even walk down the halls of his high school without hearing the whispers and snickers of his tormentors. In fact, his life had gotten so bad he had considered taking his own life on more than one occasion.
He loves ice hockey and ice cream, and he also loves the book “Wonder” by R.J. Palacio. The book is definitely a good read, but it also speaks out to those that suffer from Treacher Collins Syndrome.
As it turns out, the movie spoke right to Dr. Goodman’s heart. “I have experienced 75% of the social struggles Auggie dealt with, plus attempted suicide twice my senior year of high school in addition to a family not allowing me to take care of their child as a physician due to my appearance and my speech,” he said about the movie.
“People with facial deformities want to be treated like any other normally developed person: respected, even loved,” explained Dr. Goodman on Love What Matters. Even though he experienced a lot of heartbreak when he was a child, he turned his life into something beautiful.
He encouraged others to “read the book and educate yourselves, your children, and #ChooseKind. And see the movie” as the book by R.J. Palacio has done an amazingly powerful job of describing what it’s like to be a kid with a facial difference.”
Because of what he’s gone through in his life, he’s able to treat his patients with the care, love, and respect that they deserve. Without even realizing it, Dr. Goodman is making a huge difference in the lives of all of his patients.
