Philadelphia chef inspires others with facial differences through cooking, fundraising
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – Surviving a horrific accident has inspired a Philadelphia chef to support others living with facial differences.
Chef Christopher Kearse, the owner of Forsythia in Old City, loves creating new recipes. He has also had some facial injuries, but that hasn't stopped his career or his commitment to helping others.
Kearse has a speech impediment caused by a serious car accident that happened when he was 16. The lower part of his face was injured, requiring dozens of reconstructive surgeries
He named his restaurant Forsythia after the name of the street where he recovered, watching food shows on TV and cooking for his family.
"Then it kind of snowballed," he said.
He's since become an acclaimed chef, but he remembers being ridiculed for how he looks and people still stare at him.
Hoping to help others and raise awareness, he's now doing fundraisers for an organization called myFace.
"You get what you give in the world," he said.
MyFace provides a variety of resources that support people with facial differences.
"We provide support groups for children, adolescents, and adults and parents. We also have educational webinars for families and medical teams," Dina Zuckerberg, the director of family programs at myFace, said.
Kearse said he hopes people learn to not judge others by how they look.