At Newsner, we’ve shared several amazing tales of exceptional kids who overcame adversity throughout the years. However, few tales have had the same emotional impact on our readers as Tomm Tennet’s.
Tomm was born with enough skin to cover a youngster who was five years old, as some may recall. Doctors stated they had never seen anything like the wrinkles the young kid had when he was born.
“I was really surprised when he came out. I didn’t think a human or a baby could ever look like that,” Tomm’s father, Geoff Tennent, said in a 2003 interview with 60 Minutes Australia.
Tomm and his family have traveled a long and convoluted path since his extraordinary birth, but it is hard not to cry when we see him in 2021.
A special youngster
Tomm Tennent was born in 1993 in South East Australia, and his parents quickly recognized that he would be a unique child.
However, nobody could have predicted that their son would be referred to as a medical enigma before to the birth. Ultrasounds, however, revealed that things weren’t quite right.
Tomm’s parents weren’t sure if they would keep the child after learning this.
Geoff Tennent, Tomm’s father, stated, “We kind of talked about this between us, and we decided what’s meant to be is meant to be, and we went through with it.”
Nobody could have predicted the severity of Tomm’s condition despite all the testing and routine checks. His parents acknowledged that when they first saw him, they were taken aback.
Debbie Tennent, Tomm’s mother, was taken aback when her son was placed on her breast in the delivery room.
She remarked, “It was beautiful to pick him up and cuddle him, but at the same time my heart came to my throat.”
Medical enigma
The boy who was born with wrinkles from too much skin was a mystery to medical professionals. They had no cure or treatment for Tomm’s extra skin because they were unable to identify the cause. They first had to hope that as he grew older, he would adapt to his surroundings.
However, Tomm was so exceptional that scientists chose to devote time and resources to researching his case in an effort to unravel the riddle underlying his illness.
Over the course of two and a half months, Tomm would be examined and tested in a medical facility. Scientists undoubtedly faced a formidable obstacle. There were no examples to refer to because Tomm was the first child ever born with so much skin.
Naturally, the Tennent family was going through a very difficult period. With everything that goes along with it, no parent wants to spend months in the hospital with a newborn. But when Geoff and Debbie saw their strong baby boy, they were energized. Unaware of his illness, Tomm was always a charming toddler.
Doctors kept trying their hardest to solve Tomm’s medical issues at this time.
They eventually found something surprising after delving more. The Tomm’s appearance was compared by the experts to that of the Chinese canine breed Shar Pei. They found some answers as a result of that discovery.
Researchers observed that Tomm’s skin contained 100 times more hyaluronic acid than usual, a condition that also affects Shar Pei puppies.
Doctors hoped and prayed that Tomm’s skin would seem more normal because Shar Peis’ hyaluronic acid levels decrease with age.
Fortunately, it was. Dr. Andrew Ramsden, Tomm’s physician, predicted that the illness would likely fade away as Tomm grew older. He was correct.
Tomm had various difficulties growing up. Although he was well-liked and well-known in his hometown, some people could not resist making fun of him, particularly after he entered school. A few kids refused to play with him.
However, Tomm didn’t allow this to deter him, and he quickly acquired a lot of friends and assimilated completely into his school. Even if it wasn’t as bad as when he was born, Tomm’s appearance has changed slightly over the years.
He was asked in 2003 if he was worried about the way his friends perceived him. “Not really (…) because they are my friends and they don’t really care how I look,” was Tomm’s response.
Additionally, Tomm told 60 Minutes that he saw “a kind loving person” in the mirror.
“They (people) say I look cool, sometimes they say I look really cool, and sometimes they don’t say anything,” he went on.
Naturally, Tomm’s parents have always taken great pride in their unique kid. “He’s a good boy” (…) What he’s accomplished “He’s doing well in school and in everything,” his father remarked.
His parents claimed to have known from the time of his birth that they would never conceal him. They have a valid point when they say that beauty is deeper than the surface.
Today’s Tomm Tennent update
Twenty-eight years have passed since Tomm’s birth, which astounded the medical professionals. Following the 60 Minutes programs, a staggering number of people were curious in the life of the youngster with the huge smile and the extra skin. There haven’t been many traditional media follow-ups, though.
Furthermore, social media still doesn’t provide much insight into Tomm’s current way of life. He appears to have married Hannah, the love of his life, based on his Facebook page. The couple appears to reside in Frankston, a Melbourne suburb in Victoria, Australia, and appear to be content together.
“Life is easy. Tomm wrote, “You make choices, and you don’t look back,” on his Facebook page. It likely sums up his outlook on life.
Surely it’s lovely to see him now, smiling as beautifully as he did twenty years ago?
Tomm is incredibly motivating! I’m thrilled that he appears to be leading a joyful life with his wife and that he has an amazing family that treated him like any other child.
“Probably nothing,” he said in response to the question of what he would alter about himself. Isn’t that how each of us ought to see ourselves?
