Duane Zingale, aged 36, was born with Treacher Collins Syndrome, a genetic disorder that affects the development of facial bones and tissue. As a result of his condition, Duane has no ears or cheekbones and wears prosthetic ears. He also lives with 70% hearing loss and has used a hearing aid for almost his entire life. Duane said: “The advantage for me is [Treacher Collins] makes you extremely memorable - no one has ever, ever forgotten my face. But thankfully it does not affect your mental aptitude or your physical aptitude.” Nine years ago, he married his now-wife Becky, aged 34, who he met at a Leadership Development Program in Idaho less than a year before. The couple now share two daughters together, Chloe, aged seven and Arisaha, aged five. Ariasha was also diagnosed with Treacher Collins Syndrome, after doctors noticed some facial abnormalities during pregnancy at a scan. Like her father, she also lives with hearing loss and uses a bone-anchored hearing aid (BAHA). “I was just really thankful when Ariasha was diagnosed that she had Duane to look up to,” Becky said. The family are now trying to help other children living with the condition by making hearing aid-supportive headbands as well as releasing an educational children’s book about facial differences. Duane said: “I think it’s really important for people to understand that everyone’s different. In this day and age, it’s mostly just learning to tell your story. There’s nothing more powerful.”
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