Brave Ashley Carter is speaking out about Treacher Collins Syndrome ahead of the release of a new film
AN UPCOMING Hollywood blockbuster tells the story of a young boy with a facial disfigurement who overcomes the taunts of playground bullies.
Wonder, which hits cinemas in December, draws many parallels to the life of 17-year-old Ashley Carter.
The teen, from Taunton, Somerset, lives with Treacher Collins Syndrome, affecting the development of the bones in his bones and face.
He has had more than 30 operations over the years, including distraction surgery which involved breaking his jaw every day to lengthen it.
As the protagonist of Wonder also has the same condition, Ashley explains that the concept of the movie is very close to his reality.
He told : "Watching those scenes, I understand what he was going through, because when I was younger, I felt the same.
"Like him, I wanted to be invisible. I wanted to hide away in a corner and never come out."
Just like the film's main character, August Pullman, Ashley knows what it's like to be bullied.
He has faced adversity since primary school, when classmates began picking on him.
Ashley recalled: "Two boys started picking on me, calling me ugly, and horrible names like troll.
"They’d push me around, and one pinned me up against the wall. Sometimes, I’d run out of the classroom and sit in the corridor sobbing - it was an awful time.
"I’d come home every day upset and crying. Once, they chased me down the street. I was so scared, I ran across a busy road without even looking.
"I stopped going out to the park, or youth club, for fear they’d be there."
Ashley's mum Louise Carter, 46, spoke candidly about what it was like to watch her son being bullied.
She said: "It was so hard to see Ashley come home from school so upset, and really difficult to know what to do.
"We tried to educate people that Ashley is just like everyone else. We are all the same on the inside, regardless of our appearance."
TREACHER-Collins syndrome affects the bones and face, and is present from birth.
Early in pregnancy the cheekbones, jaw and eye sockets fail to develop properly, often causing a baby to have drooping eyes and a small jaw.
It is a genetic condition caused by a mutation or change in a specific gene.
Scientists have identified three genes that are affected - and all affect the development of bone and tissues.
The symptoms are very variable from sufferer to sufferer, ranging from mild to severe.
Kids with Treacher-Collins syndrome tend to have a characteristic appearance, due to the fact their cheekbones, jaw and eye sockets don't form properly.
Their jaws tend to be very small, and/or underdeveloped.
They will often suffer breathing problems, as well as difficulties feeding.
Some kids will have a cleft palate, while in other severe cases some children will be missing ears.
Ashley has since been moved to a difference class to avoid the cruel classmates.
Even though his confidence has been left shattered, he has managed to find his voice and speak out about living with Treacher Collins syndrome.
He said: "In one powerful scene in the film, Auggie is told 'you can’t blend in when you were born to stand out'.
"I’ve realised that’s true. So I’ve chosen to use my visibility as a platform to help others."
The brave teen is working alongside charity Fixers to help raise awareness and boost his confidence.
Remarkably, a clip of him talking about bullying has since been viewed more than 145,000 times.
Ashley, who works at a local restaurant, hopes to continue to work as a role model for other children with Treacher Collins.
He said: "I want to inspire them. I’ll tell them don’t let the condition bother you - it doesn’t bother me, and it doesn’t get in the way of living a good life.
"Also, don’t listen to the bullies – they’ve achieved nothing by bullying you; whereas you can go on to do amazing things."
Julia Roberts and Owen Wilson play married parents in the first trailer for touching new movie Wonder, starring young Room actor Jacob Tremblay as a disfigured school boy.
Tremblay's character August “Auggie” Pullman has had 27 surgeries to help him breathe, see, and hear properly before entering school for the first time aged 10.
His protective parents, played by Wilson and Roberts, pray that the kids at school won't be unkind to him because of his appearance, but sadly a lot of them are.
However, Auggie does slowly manage to make friends thanks to his kind heart and the support of his loving mum and dad.
The tear-jerker is based on a best-selling books of the same name by R.J. Palacio, and will no doubt leave audiences bawling their eyes out when it hits cinemas in December.
