His mom noticed a strange spot on his right cheek. Lukas Caldwell was 7 years old.
A biopsy confirmed the diagnosis: Parry-Romberg syndrome, an extremely rare condition estimated to affect 1 in 250,000 people and gradually reduce the tissue on one side of the face.
In his case, it was the right side, and the change came slowly, over the years. The curious thing is that his twin brother, Ben, grew up without any sign of the condition. Two almost identical faces, different on just one side.
In the midst of his teenage years, Lukas decided to stop hiding. He began sharing his story on social media and now has nearly 3 million followers. There, he talks about his surgeries, treatments, and even what was hardest for him to accept. Three weeks ago, he shared that one of his operations went very well and that he is already feeling better.
Science still doesn’t know for certain what causes this condition. Lukas, however, is clear about one thing: no one should be judged by their appearance.