Man with no jaw falls in love and shares his incredible story
"Stop looking at the physical because you just may be missing your blessings"
A man who was born with no jaw has fallen in love and has shared his incredible story to help inspire others.
Joseph Williams, from Chicago, was born with otofacial syndrome, an extremely rare condition that causes a person to be born without a mandible (lower jaw or jawbone) and therefore without a chin.
The 41-year-old had a pretty rough start in life, previously telling Caters News that he faced bullying and self-esteem setbacks - but he was determined to push through.
"Being born without a jaw came as a shock to my birth mother," he explained.
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"I was a twin but the other baby passed away before we were born. When I was just a couple of days old, I was taken from Illinois, where I was born, to Chicago, for multiple surgeries.
"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.
"And I was also put up for adoption which led to me meeting my adopted family."
As for his everyday life, the condition creates a number of difficulties for Joseph. To eat, he has to blend his food and put it through a tube connected to his stomach.
"I have a tube in my neck, called a trachea, which helps me breathe," he added. "And I was taught sign language when I was two years old, to help me communicate.
"However, since then I have also found other ways to help me communicate such as making notes and typing into my phone."
While growing up was difficult, Joseph maintains a positive attitude and likes to spend his time travelling and socialising.
More recently he found love with Vania. The pair were initially colleagues and friends but they eventually fell in love and tied the knot in 2020.
The couple opened up about their relationship in a new interview with Truly, where Vania admitted that when she first met Jo she was shy, as she didn't want to be 'rude and assume what happened'.
But after getting to know him, she said: "I didn't see his face anymore. I just saw his spirit, his personality."
Communicating through his phone, Joseph said that he first had feelings for Vania on the second day of meeting her after he helped her at work.
He recalled: "She had a smile on her face that I was like, 'That's the most beautiful smile I have ever seen.'
"Then when I walked past her station she signed the word 'hi' to me. I was teaching her sign language a little, but the way she did it made me feel some kind of way."
Though they developed feelings for each other, the happy couple said their journey hasn't been without its hurdles - mostly due to other people questioning their relationship.
"We get things like, 'She can't kiss him or she must be cheating on him'," said Joseph. "Other things consist of personal matters such as sex, and we are faking marriage for attention."
Vania added that people sometimes stare at them or pull out their phones to record or take pictures.
But the pair don't let the negativity and ignorance of others get them down.
Vania continued: "What I want people to know about being in a relationship with someone who has a disability is that you have to be patient with them...
"And look at their heart - like, don't look at their physical appearance, wherever the disability may be."
Jo ended the interview by saying: "I want people to understand whether they are disabled or not, stop looking at the physical because you just may be missing your blessings."
Topics: Life, Health, Sex and Relationships, Real Life
Daisy Phillipson