Over the years, many heartwarming stories have moved us, but Tomm Tennent’s story is truly unique.
When Tomm was born, he had so much extra skin that it could have covered a 5-year-old instead of a newborn. He was so wrinkled that doctors said they had never seen anything like it before.
“When he was born, I was really shocked. I didn’t think a human, especially a little baby, could look like that,” Tomm’s dad, Geoff Tennent, told 60 Minutes Australia in 2003.
The Tennent family had quite a journey raising their unique boy, but when you see him today, it’s hard not to get emotional…
A unique child
When Tomm was born in 1993, his family quickly realized he was one of a kind.
Before his birth, they had no idea he would be considered a medical mystery. However, ultrasounds showed that something unusual was going on with him.
At first, Tomm’s parents weren’t sure if they would keep the baby.
“We talked about it and decided that what’s meant to be is meant to be, so we went through with it,” Tomm’s dad, Geoff Tennent, said.
Despite all the tests and check-ups, no one could have predicted how serious Tomm’s condition would be. His parents were very surprised when they first saw him.
Debbie Tennent was shocked when they placed her son on her in the delivery room.
“My heart jumped into my throat, but at the same time, it was so nice to pick him up and cuddle him,” she said.
To medical experts, Tomm’s condition was a complete mystery. They couldn’t figure out what caused his extra skin, and there was no cure or treatment. At first, they hoped he would grow into his skin as he got older.
But because Tomm was so unique, researchers decided to invest time and money to try and solve the mystery behind his condition.
Tomm spent two and a half months going through various tests and analyses. It was a big challenge to figure out the cause of his condition since he was the first child ever recorded with so much extra skin.
For the Tennent family, it was tough to see their newborn go from one test to another. No parent wants their baby to go through so many medical procedures, but they knew it was the best thing for Tomm and could help other families who might face the same issue in the future.
They made sure Tomm would feel no different from any other child.
Experts did everything they could to find out what caused Tomm’s condition. After a lot of investigation, they found something surprising: Tomm looked similar to the Shar Pei dog breed. This discovery led to some startling answers.
Researchers found that Tomm had 100 times more hyaluronic acid in his skin than usual, which was also true for Shar Pei puppies.
In Shar Pei puppies, the level of hyaluronic acid drops as they grow up, leading to normal skin. Doctors hoped and prayed that the same thing would happen with Tomm.
Dr. Andrew Ramsden, Tomm’s doctor, thought the condition would likely go away as Tomm grew older. Fortunately, he was right.
Tomm faced some difficulties while growing up, especially when he started school. Some kids didn’t want to play with him and teased him. But Tomm didn’t let his uniqueness get him down.
It didn’t take long for Tomm to make friends and fit in at school. Even though he still looked different, it wasn’t as noticeable as when he was born.
In 2003, they asked Tomm if he was concerned about how his friends saw him. Tomm replied, “Not really, because they are my friends and they don’t care about how I look.”
Tomm also told 60 Minutes that when he looked in the mirror, he saw “a kind, loving person.”
“Sometimes people say I look cool, sometimes they say I look really cool, and sometimes they don’t say anything.”
Tomm’s parents were very proud of their special son and how he grew up.
“He’s a good boy,” his dad said. “He’s doing well in school and succeeding in everything he does.”
His parents made sure he was raised just like any other child, and they believed that the extra skin didn’t affect the inner beauty he has.
Tomm Tennent today
It’s been 28 years since the special boy who amazed doctors was born. After many documentaries and hundreds of tests on Tomm, people wanted to know how he looks today.
From what we can see on his social media, Tomm isn’t very active online about this. However, it looks like he is happily married to his wife, Hannah. They live in Frankston, a suburb of Melbourne in Victoria, Australia.
Tomm posted on his Facebook, “Life’s simple. You make choices, and you don’t look back.” This quote likely reflects his outlook on life.
It’s touching to see Tomm still has that same wonderful smile he had 20 years ago.
Tomm’s story is truly inspiring! I’m really happy to see that he grew up to be a happy and fulfilled person despite the challenges he faced as a child.
When asked what he would change about himself, he said, “Probably nothing.” Isn’t that a great way for all of us to view ourselves?
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