A mum of a boy who was born with no eyes has revealed the horrific trolling he is subjected to – but believes sharing his story online is a crucial way to raise awareness of facial differences.

Eleven-year-old Christian Buchanan, from Tennessee, US, was born with amniotic band syndrome, which is when strands of tissue wrap around a developing foetus, preventing the baby from growing normally.

For the little boy, it has caused several facial clefts affecting his eyes, lips and nose, as well as developmental delays and blindness.

Since birth, he has had 12 surgeries for cleft repairs.

Sadly, as well as his physical struggles, Christian and his family, including mum Lacey, 35, and dad Chris, 37, also have to deal with horrifying abuse from strangers both online and in their day-to-day life.

"Someone commented on one of my TikTok videos that I should have aborted him and that I have no concern for his suffering," Lacey told NeedToKnow.Online.

"Someone else said I should 'put him down like a dog'.

"Depending on how I'm feeling, sometimes I ignore the trolls, but most of the time I don't – they shouldn't be allowed to just say such ugly things without some sort of correction.

"The prejudice has happened offline too; when Christian was a baby, someone asked to see him but when they looked over into his car seat to do so, gasped and jumped back as if he was going to hurt them.

"I hate that he's had to struggle but I try not to dwell on it, because that doesn't do any of us any good.

"But I don't want Christian to ever feel sorry for himself or think he can't do something he wants to do, so even on the hard days, we just cry if we need to, pick ourselves up and keep moving forward."

Although Lacey, who works as an attorney, has no issue shutting trolls down, she also wants to be open about the difficulties of Christian's condition – especially the loss of his sight.

Lacey said: "When Christian was born, our entire way of life changed, and there was no way to prepare for it.

"We had a certain idea in our minds of what parenthood would look like, and it was nothing like that.

"It was hospitals and medical equipment and doctors and not at all what we expected or wanted.

"We had to do whatever was best for Christian, but it didn't mean we didn't mourn the loss that was there.

"I will always feel grief over the fact that Christian doesn't know what I look like, or that I can only describe to him the beauty of a sunset.

"I will always mourn that, because grief is the price of love, and it's a price I'm willing to pay because I love him so much."

Due to complications caused by his condition, her son didn't begin walking or talking until he was three years old and still attends physical and speech therapy every week, as well as eating via a feeding tube.

However, as he's gotten older, the youngster – who is best friends with his brother, nine-year-old Charlie – has adapted to his condition, and is able to do "anything he puts his mind to".

He has been playing violin for the last five years and his parents have now signed him up for Miracle League baseball, a US league specifically for people with disabilities.

Christian will continue to have surgeries to repair his cleft symptoms as he grows and matures.

Lacey said: "Christian loves himself. He doesn't wish to be any different than he is.

"Although he knows he's not exactly like everyone else, we have been extremely careful to always make sure he knows that that isn't a bad thing.

"Different isn't bad or less. It's just different, and we have spent Christian's life cultivating self-confidence and self-love into him so that if the day comes that the world tries to tear him down, it won't be able to.

"His brother, Chandler, is his best friend. They can definitely fight like brothers, but they love each other so much.

"Christian relies on Chandler as a companion and Chandler is the best at helping Christian understand things that he can't otherwise understand because of his disability.

"Chris is an active and involved dad.

"He and the boys share a love of video games and movies and technology, so that is something they do together a lot."

Lacey has been sharing Christian's story online since he was born, with the hopes of teaching others about his condition and fight against ableism.

She said: "There are people out there who actually think disabled people shouldn't even be allowed to live, and at a minimum, shouldn't have the rights the rest of us deserve.

"I get so tired of hearing that I just want attention, that I post on Facebook for attention only.

"For one, of course I want attention. I want people to see Christian and realise his humanity.

"I want people to notice and learn.

"I'm not sorry and I will never stop posting about him. I will never hide my son.

"If I've just run out of patience, I'll tell them exactly how horrible of a human they are and how their response to my child is intolerable, ableist and unacceptable.

"Disabled people are here, they exist, and they will have a place at the table as long as I am around to fight for it."

"Yes, there are times when it's hard but there are times when it's beautiful too, and Christian is worth all the hard things we have to go through, and we are determined to go through them together.

"Just be kind. It's easy. It's free."

For all the trolls, the family get a lot of positive comments too, which Lacey finds "overwhelming".

She said: "It's incredible and it gives me hope that the good outweighs the bad and that the world and our culture is shifting to be more friendly and accepting of disabled people.

"Christian thinks it's very cool.

"Sometimes he will ask me to take a picture or video of him doing something and share it to Facebook, especially if it's something funny, and then he'll ask me if everyone is laughing.

"He loves to make people laugh, so often he will tell jokes and have me post them."

ENDS

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