Turning difference into opportunity: Francesco’s journey

My name is Francesco Franzè and I am 27 years old. My parents told me that my first operation took place when I was just six months old. I was born with a facial malformation. From that first moment I underwent numerous operations, but evidently none of them was conclusive. I had the first ten within my first eight years of life, but another twelve were needed to correct the consequences of the congenital malformation, which involved not only the lip and the palate, but also the nose, the jaw, the teeth… To put it briefly, my clinical picture was very complex and every stage of the journey left its mark.nnAt around eight years old, when I began to compare myself with my peers, I realised I was different. This awareness caused a deep crisis in me, made worse by the fact that some classmates teased me, at times with a cruelty that left me breathless. I internalised everything without talking about it with anyone, not even with my family. I withdrew more and more, unable to express my suffering.nnOnly towards the end of middle school and the start of secondary school did the first turning point come: no one teased me any more, my peers finally talked with me and this made me extremely happy. At secondary school I found the courage to leave the house, after years spent protecting myself from the world. I began to see my pain in a new light: it could become a strength, if only I wanted it to. What had made me suffer so much could turn into a source of energy.nnThe second turning point came with my first job, as a pharmaceutical operator at a company, and with my university studies in Dental Hygiene, a degree I obtained in 2023.nnThroughout all these years Smile House ETS has always been a constant and steady point of reference for me. The team of doctors and nurses at Smile House ETS not only followed me, improving step by step with surgery and functional therapies, but also knew how to care for my psychological and emotional needs. In short, Smile House ETS became my second family.nnThe uninterrupted support I received and the experiences I lived through made me understand that, in my world, I can find true friends, people I can trust and with whom I can build genuine and lasting bonds.nnBut above all I understood one fundamental thing, which I want to share with all the young people who are facing the same journey as me: the “different” one you see today, if you want it to, can become your greatest asset tomorrow.