A major life event is awaiting 16-year-old Peter Dankelson in June, and it is not a vacation, a driver’s license or a summer job.
It is solid foods, whether that be a steak or a meaty pizza. It partly depends on how well his facial surgery goes.
Dankelson, a Libertyville High School sophomore, was born with Goldenhar syndrome, a congenital defect marked by underdeveloped facial and bodily features. Because of it, the majority of his diet has been a liquid one, his family said.
He has no left ear and only has one kidney. He has an undersized jaw and a surgically repaired cleft palate, his family said. He also wears a prosthetic over his underdeveloped right ear.
In June, Dankelson is scheduled to undergo an operation that could lead to a properly aligned jaw, allowing him to eat solid foods regularly.
Dankelson also acts as a speaker for the Children’s Craniofacial Association. On Jan. 23, he addressed third and fourth graders at Half Day School in Lincolnshire about the choice between kindness and meanness.
Q: You’ve spoken about your love for Star Wars, where characters come with a hodgepodge of body types. Yet, you are 16 and too young to have watched even the prequels in a theater. How did you get into it?
A: I honestly do not know. I just got obsessed with it in second grade. I got really into a Star Wars cartoon called Clone Wars. They had a really rude Jedi, who wasn’t peaceful. The clones talked to each other, and they tried to get him fired. It showed that the clones were unique and individual.
Q: There is much ado about President Trump’s opinions about people who are dissimilar to him. Do you worry that kids will feel empowered to comment about your body?
A: For the most part, I’ve been extremely lucky. At a summer camp, this kid was being a jerk to everyone. He said a lot of stuff to me. I was pretty hurt by that but later, I went up to him and just told him he was a jerk. After that, he stopped. Here’s my personal thought of people like Donald Trump — it’s very complicated. For the next four years, there’s going to be changes. But I’ll support him. He’s the new president.
Q: If all goes well in June, what do you look forward to eating?
A: Probably cake. Maybe some cookies. Maybe some steak —I’ve heard that’s really good. I love cheese pizza. Little Caesar’s — that’s really good.
Shout Out is a weekly feature in which we introduce our readers to their fellow community members and local visitors throughout suburban Chicago.
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