Man Is Denied Food Because Of His Face

Meet Amit Ghose, a 35-year-old from Birmingham who has faced his fair share of challenges but always keeps a positive spirit. Growing up, he experienced bullying because of his unique appearance, and unfortunately, he still encounters stares, pointing, and negative comments today. Just recently, Amit had an experience at a café in London that left him feeling hurt when he was refused service simply because of his face.

Reflecting on that day, Amit shares, "It felt like everyone was staring at me, almost as if they'd seen a ghost." When he tried to order, the person behind the counter looked at him and said, "Oh, we’re not serving any more," before turning away, even though there were other customers being served. It was a tough moment, but Amit is determined to rise above it.

Amit was born with Neurofibromatosis Type 1, a condition that causes non-cancerous tumors to grow along his nerves. Despite this, he has learned to embrace who he is and now spreads joy by sharing his story in schools, helping children celebrate their uniqueness and be proud of who they are.

His recent experiences led him to write a delightful children’s book called *Born Different*. In one story, he recalls a time when kids in a park approached him with questions about his face. What he thought was innocent curiosity turned out to be hurtful laughter and comments like, "If I had a face like yours, I wouldn't even come out of my house." Though the remarks stung, they motivated him to share his message with the world. "If I had this book as a child, it would have really made a difference for me," he says.

When Amit was 11, he had to have his left eye surgically removed, which further changed his appearance and intensified the bullying. He remembers a particularly painful moment when a classmate told him, "You don’t need a Halloween mask; you’ve got one for life." That comment broke his spirit for a time, and he struggled to accept his looks.

Looking back, Amit realizes that those challenging experiences brought on anxiety and sadness that he didn't fully understand back then. Kids would often shy away from him or hide behind their parents, leaving him feeling lonely.

But through it all, Amit found solace in cricket, a sport that helped him connect with others. "Cricket helped me become known as 'Amit, the boy who plays cricket,' rather than just 'Amit, the boy with a funny face,'" he explains. Yet even as an adult, he still faces some stares and whispers.

Despite these challenges, Amit believes there’s so much kindness in the world that needs to be celebrated.

Amit feels incredibly grateful for his wife, Piyali, who helped him learn the "art of acceptance." She showed him that embracing himself was the first step to being accepted by others. Encouraged by her, Amit decided to share his story on social media, even though he initially thought TikTok was just for dancing and singing. He took a leap of faith and created a video, inviting everyone to join him on a journey of inspiration and support through his experiences.

Since he started his TikTok account earlier this year, Amit has garnered almost 200,000 followers and millions of likes. "Sharing my story has truly helped me accept myself more," he shares. "Now I proudly say to the world, this is me, take it or leave it!"

Around the same time, he decided to leave his job at a law firm to focus on motivational speaking full-time. He finds it deeply rewarding to help young people discover their self-worth. Additionally, he’s gearing up to launch a fun podcast where he’ll chat with others who’ve faced similar challenges, including Oliver Bromley, who was removed from a restaurant for being perceived as "scaring the customers." 

Amit is excited about the podcast, exclaiming, "We’re going to have a great time and inspire so many people! Whether you have a visible difference or not, we all face insecurities and challenges. My goal is to show everyone that if we can celebrate and accept who we are, we can truly grow in confidence!"