I recieved a message here on Mindsay from whispertales. She told me that she had seen a late night interview with an interesting man named Matt Gone.

Matt Has covered most of his body with tatoos. He claims that this started because of an unhappiness and shamefullness about a birth defect.

Whisper told me he has the same rare birth defect I have, Poland's Syndrome (P.S.). Now, I am not trying to call her (Whisper) a liar. I'm sure Mr. Gone probably said he has P.S. in the interview.However, I think this man may be using a false claim of Poland's to help him become famous (other then for being a tatooed freak).

In case you have never heard of Poland's, it is a rare birth defect occurring in a estimated 1 in every forty thousand new borns. It consisted of deformities in one or both hand (ussually just one) as well as one (again, or both) chest(s). The causes are unknown. To find out more click on one of either of the two P.S. related links I have on this page.

From my appraisal of the photos Mr. Gone has on his website, I believe the he does not have Polands. He has close ups of his hands and chest and they both appear to have to no type deformity. I noticed he has both of his nipples pierced. The nipple piercing shocks me because ussually people with P.S. have underdevelopment in either one or both nipples.

From what I know from my personal experiences, what my dactors have told me, and my own personal research; Mr. Gone does not have Poland's Syndrome.

I admit this is all an assumption and Mr. Gone may very well have some other sort of birth defect. However, if he doesn't and is making a false claim I am very offended.

One of my personal quests I have chosen to take up is awareness of birth defects and disibilaties. I wish to prove the many stereotypes wrong in my own life and in the example I set, and by supporting groups and charaties. The way I see it Mr. Gone is not helping  mine and thousands of other peoples situations.

Even if Mr. Gone has a birth defect I think his message is very problomatic. Mr. Gone stated that he stared all the tatoos to cover up his defects and to create something he could be proud of and not be ashamed of. His message appears to be that people who are disabled or have birth defects have something that they should be ashamed of and something they should try to hide or change. No one should ever be ashamed of who they are, exspecially those people who have birth defects and disabilities. If Gone is ashamed of who he is he has alot of self searching to do and I pray that one day he will be happy just the way he is birth defect, tatoos or whatever.

I am persomally offended and am considering e-mailing this man and politely asking him some of the questions I have raised here.

If my assumptions are correct the only thing he has to truly be ashamed of is the way he exploited people with disabilities and dirth defects with his actions.

When I first read Whispers message I was immediately filled with joy that someone in the media was drawing attention to something I not only care very deeply about but have to live with every single day. When I clicked on his web site, I was immediately shocked, offended, and angered when it appeared that this man did not have P.S. I wasn't angery at Whisper but at the mans horrible attempt to grab fame and attention and the fact that he was using a birth defect that I believe he does not have.

I hope Mr. Gone realizes that he is not helping those with birth defects and is only helping to spread the stereotype that people with birth defects are feaks that should live in shame of who they are and try to hide or change.

Finally I will Post his website and let you decide for yourself if I am crazy or not.

Mr. Matt Gone

Thanks for Reanding,

Mark M.

Update: Thanks again to Whispertales, she has given me a link to the interview. Having read it I now believe Mr. Gone may have P.S. but not as severe and I and many other people have. His information about P.S. is correct so my assumption my be incorrect. However, I am still offended by what I see as exploiting himself and others like him (including myself) for fifteen minutes fame. And am even more offended that he is spreading a message that people should be ashamed of who they are. 

But I will let you be the judge...

The Interview