Man says cafe staff refused to serve him because of his face tumours

A man with a rare genetic condition who said he was refused service in a north London cafe after customers stared at him said he shared his story to empower others.

Amit Ghose, 35, has Neurofibromatosis Type 1, a condition which causes benign tumours to grow on his nerves.

Last month, Amit had been visiting his sister Shilu Sen in Wood Green, London, when they went out for a coffee, but after entering the cafe, he noticed people looking at him ‘like they’d seen a ghost’.

Amit told Metro: ‘I was born with Neurofibromatosis. It’s very visible – I can’t hide it.’

As Amit ordered a drink, he said he was told by the staff that they were ‘no longer serving.’

‘People who look visibly different are used to people staring at them, pointing them out to their friends, so I thought, “It is what it is,”’ he added.

‘But I was upset. It’s one of the realities of people living with visible differences get subjected to discrimination every now and then, and a lot of my friends in the community have said it’s something they also encounter on a regular basis.’

Amit said he decided to share his story in the London cafe because it’s important to highlight incidents like it.

‘It helps others know people with visible differences go through, but more importantly, for people who have treated others like this, they can watch it and think, “Maybe my comments and the way I’ve dealt with somebody in the past are hurtful – let’s change it.”

‘It’s a movement that is trying to see if we can change society’s narrative, and how they see people with visible differences.’

Amit didn’t name the cafe where the incident happened, citing worries that the business would be ‘bombarded’. 

‘I don’t want any negativity. I walked away and I think this me sharing the story in the way I have is enough to empower others to create change.’

Amit, from Birmingham, was born with the condition that affects approximately one in 2,500 to 3,000 people worldwide.

At the age of 11, his left eye was surgically removed, which led him to wear an eye patch for six months while his prosthetic eye was built.

Despite his disability, Amit gives talks in schools about his condition and has written a children’s book called ‘Born Different’.

He has gained 300,000 followers across his social media platforms over the past two years, and even quit his job as a regional manager at a law firm to pursue a career as a motivational speaker, content creator, and a DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) Business Partner.

‘People with visible differences are human beings. I want to help other people find validation and security in themselves,’ he said.

Amit has also released a children’s book called ‘Born Different’ to share his experience growing up as a visibly different person.

‘There was a period of time where other children would come to our house or I’d see other children at events and they’d go hide behind their parents, point at my face and I would cry.’

He released his book on Neurofibromatosis awareness day, May 17, to share the real-life challenges faced every day by people with his condition.

‘What I’m trying to do here is create a movement about acceptance and self-love. I always say disability or no disability, disfigurement or no disfigurement, we all go through a challenging life, and we have to learn to fall in love with ourselves.’

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