Man cruelly dubbed 'Sloth' by bullies at school told he might never walk

26 February 2024 , 12:07

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Liam Erskine was cruelly dubbed 'Sloth' at school (Image: Liam Erskine/SWNS)

A man dubbed 'Sloth' at school over his rare facial condition was told he would likely be quadriplegic - and might never talk.

But Liam Erskine, 29, beat the odds and is now thriving as a mental health support worker - helping others. Liam, from Newcastle, was born with Goldenhar syndrome, which can cause incomplete development of bones in the face, including the spine, ears, swallowing and internal organs.

Doctors said his condition - which affects around one in every 25,000 to 45,000 births - might mean he could never feed himself or walk. Liam beat that prognosis but underwent 15 reconstructive surgeries - including pinning his ears back and pulling his chin forward. And his unconventional looks made him a target for bullies in school - where he was given cruel nicknames.

Things got so bad Liam attempted suicide at 14. But now, 15 years later, he has a "lust for life" - and is working with people with learning disabilities. Liam said: "When I was in school, I felt I was an object, not a person. But now I've beat the odds to get a degree and use my voice to help people.

"Doctors said I'd be a quadriplegic when I was born - but when I turned two, I was walking and talking. When I hit 18, I developed a lust for life. I was volunteering, I loved my performing arts - I started styling myself with a mohawk and big earrings. I have this very unique personality."

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Liam Erskine when he was younger (Liam Erskine/SWNS)

Liam described his classmates as being "on the backfoot" when he tried to make friends with them. The kids' apprehension quickly turned into name-calling and bullying - and Liam was made to feel like he was unworthy. He said: "I had a whole range of nicknames - wonky face, the Terminator, Sloth from 'The Goonies' - one girl even said she hoped I'd die on the operating table during my next surgery."

"She was a very morbid child, to be fair." As well as insults and names, Liam also suffered badly from physical bullying - which involved kids throwing him in bins, being punched and kicked. "I was hit, spat on, mate crimed," Liam said. "Which meant I'd have a load of kids pretending to be my friend, just to laugh at me - they'd get me to say phrases with the letter 'S' in them, because I had a speech impediment.

"My horrible logic at the time was - it's better to have fake friends than no friends. I became very desensitised to it, in the end." At the age of 13, Liam began volunteering for his local youth club, which catered to kids with learning disabilities. And he was encouraged to pursue his love of music by his parents, and joined a drama group - which gave Liam a love of performing to an audience.

He added: "My youth club work taught me how to be compassionate - for myself, as well as them. And the support workers gave me an idea of what a healthy friendship looked like. When I got into performing arts, I felt pretty confident straight away, because being stared at was nothing new for me. It made me very excited and wanting to do stuff."

Liam Erskine (Liam Erskine/SWNS)

But Liam struggled "hugely" with the bullying - and at 14, attempted to take his own life. He said: "Death didn't seem scary - my condition made me feel like a burden. I backed out of it, though, and even that made me feel like a failure. I've had a suicide in the family since, and I've seen the sheer destruction it causes. It made me realise this wasn't the right answer. I decided I wanted to learn how to live well, unwell. If you can be comfortable while at your worst, nothing else matters."

Two years later, his youth club paid for him to do a level three NVQ in youth work, before awarding him a place at Northumbria University, to do a degree in social work. Since 2016, Liam has worked within the care sector - helping out with elderly people, Alzheimer's patients, and people with learning disabilities.

In his spare time, he's written a children's book about facial differences, 'Little Plasticine Boy' - and fronts his own band, Folding Gold, on vocals and piano. He said: "I really just want to spend time giving the message back - that everybody struggles and suffers. But in the end, you learn to love yourself."

Rom Preston-Ellis