The family knew Tom would be special from the moment he was born in 1993.
However, the parents had no idea that their son would become a medical mystery even before he was born. Ultrasound scans showed that something was wrong with him.
Tom’s parents were puzzled about whether to continue the pregnancy when they learned of the potential problems.
His father, Jeff Tennant, said: “We talked about it and decided that whatever would be, would be. And we went ahead.”
The first moments of life
Tom’s parents could not understand the seriousness of his condition, despite numerous tests and examinations. When they first saw him, they were shocked.
When the boy was placed in his mother’s arms, Debbie Tennant was overwhelmed. “It was nice to hold him and hug him, but my heart was racing,” she recalls.
Unknown disease
Doctors couldn’t diagnose Tom’s condition. There was no treatment or cure, and no one understood why he had so much extra skin. At first, doctors hoped that he would “grow out of his skin” over time.
However, Tom was so unique that scientists decided to devote time and resources to solving the mystery of his condition. The examinations lasted more than two and a half months. Tom was the first child born with so much excess skin, which made diagnosis especially difficult.
Research and discovery
The testing process was difficult for the Tenent family. Although neither parent wanted their newborn to be constantly tested, they knew it was the best decision for Tom and for other families with similar issues in the future.
During the research, doctors discovered a surprising connection. Tom’s condition turned out to be similar to the skin characteristics of Shar Pei puppies.
Like Shar Pei puppies, Tom’s skin was found to have 100 times the normal amount of hyaluronic acid. This usually goes away with age in puppies as their hyaluronic acid levels decline. Doctors hoped the same would happen to Tom.
Childhood and growing up
Dr Andrew Ramsden predicted that Tom’s condition would gradually improve as he got older. Fortunately, he was right.
However, Tom’s childhood was not easy. At school he was sometimes teased and children avoided him. But Tom never lost his self-confidence.
He soon made new friends and became a full-fledged part of school life. His appearance was still unusual, but not as pronounced as in infancy.
Life today
Today, 28 years later, Tom lives a happy life. He is married to Hannah and they live together in the suburbs of Melbourne, Australia.
Tom has a positive outlook. In one of his Facebook posts, he wrote: “Life is simple. You make a choice and don’t look back.”
When asked what he would change about himself, Tom replied, “Probably nothing.” And that’s an inspiring answer that each of us should follow.
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