ASHLEY is 23 years old with Treacher Collins Syndrome, a condition from birth that affects the bones and tissue in the face which meant that Ashley was born with no cheekbones and no ears. “I’ve dealt with this for 23 years, I get the stares, the looks”. “And I am who I am, if you don’t like it - tough!”. Ashley’s father Michael recalls how rare and unprepared doctors were when Ashley was born: “Not a lot of people knew about Treacher Collins Syndrome because it affects 1 in 10,000 people.” Ashley has had over 30 surgeries including a jaw distraction, which involves breaking the jaw on a daily basis in order to bring it forward. Ashley has been bullied throughout his school years because of his visible differences. “They would punch me, kick me, pin me up against the wall”. This drastically affected his self-confidence and he now regrets not telling his family sooner. “I didn't go out, I just wanted to be in my safe space”. Through his TikTok account, Ashley has been able to bring awareness about Treacher Collins Syndrome to his growing followers. Although at times he gets hateful comments, this doesn’t stop him from wanting to spread a message of hope and acceptance.
Produced as part of the YouTube channel 'truly', which has over 10 million subscribers.
Follow Ashley here: / ashleycarter102 / ashtheebash200 / ashbash122 Videographer: Simon Vacher
Producers: Tom Buckman, Georgia Embling, Hannah Beaugeard Editor: Hailey Wang