But there are times where deep and beautiful friendships are formed because of a common disease or disability. If you’ve seen the movie “The Fault in Our Stars”, you probably know what I mean.

Being different can be isolating, but these differences help us gravitate to the friends we need most. Just like this seven year old boy from Oklahoma named Madden. He was born with a cleft lip and complete heterochromia iridium, a condition where the eyes have different colors.

Complete heterochromia iridium is a rare condition, affecting less than 1% of the population. Because of Madden’s condition, fitting in with kids his age was a struggle. The bullying he experienced at his young age was enough to break his spirit.

One day, a friend posted an image of a rescue cat in a cleft moms’ support group. With just one look at the cat’s picture, Madden’s mom knew the cat was meant to be a part of their family. It was hard to believe, but the cat had the same conditions as Madden. The cat, named Moon, didn’t only have a cleft lip, he also had complete heterochromia iridium. It was like a match made in heaven.

It was the kindness of both friends and strangers that helped Madden and his family travel from Oklahoma to Minnesota. Because of those small acts of kindness from different people, Moon was brought to his new home. Even though Moon was a rescue cat from the streets of Minnesota, he was the one who rescued Madden from his loneliness. Having a pet with his same rare conditions helped Madden feel understood and less alone. Moon helped Madden realize that being different doesn’t make him a freak, it just makes him unique.