Tomm Tennent was born with enough skin for a five-year-old child

As some may remember, Tomm was born with enough skin to cover a 5-year-old toddler. The little boy came into the world so wrinkled that doctors said they had never seen anything like it before.

“When he came out I was quite shocked (…) I didn’t think a human, or a little baby, could ever look like that,” Tomm’s dad, Geoff Tennent, told 60 Minutes Australia in 2003.

Since his remarkable birth, it has been a long and winding journey for Tomm and his family – but if we look at him today, 2021, it is difficult not to shed a tear.

A unique child

When Tomm Tennent was born in South East Australia in 1993, his parents soon realized that he was going to be a special baby.

But before the birth, no one could have guessed that their boy would be described as a medical mystery. However, ultrasounds showed that not everything was how it should be.

When they heard this, Tomm’s parents didn’t know whether they would keep the child.

”We sort of discussed this between us, and we decided what’s meant to be is meant to be and we went through with it,” Tomm’s dad, Geoff Tennent, said.

Despite all the tests and routine examinations, no one could have imagined the severity of Tomm’s condition. His parents admitted they were shocked when they first saw him.

Tomm’s mom, Debbie Tennent, was shocked when her son was placed on her chest in the delivery room.

“My heart came up to my throat, but at the same time it was lovely to pick him up and cuddle him,” she said.

Medical mystery

To medical experts, the boy born with an excess of skin was a mystery. They couldn’t figure out what was causing Tomm’s excessive skin, and as a result, they had no treatment and no cure. At first, they hoped he would grow into his skin as he got older.

But Tomm was so unique that researchers decided to invest time and money into studying his case, in a bid to solve the mystery surrounding his condition.

In total, Tomm would spend two and a half months in a medical center, undergoing tests and analysis. Needless to say, scientists faced a huge challenge. Since Tomm was the first child on record born with so much skin, there were no precedents to turn to.

Of course, it was a very trying time for the Tennent family. No parent with a newborn baby wants to spend months at the hospital with all that entails. However, Geoff and Debbie found energy when looking at their strong baby boy. Tomm always remained a lovable toddler, totally unaware of his condition.

Throughout this time, doctors continued to do everything in their power to find a solution to Tomm’s medical problems.

After digging deeper, they finally discovered something unexpected. The experts saw similarities between the way the Tomm looked and those of the Chinese dog breed, the Shar Pei. That discovery led them to some answers.

Researchers discovered that Tomm’s level of Hyaluronic acid, found in skin, was 100 times higher than normal, as is the case with Shar Pei puppies.

Given that the levels of Hyaluronic acid drop for Shar Peis as they grow up – leaving them with a more normal skin appearance – doctors hoped and prayed it would be the case for Tomm.

Luckily, it was. According to his doctor, Dr. Andrew Ramsden, the condition would probably disappear as Tomm got older. And he was right.

Growing up, Tomm faced some challenges. He was loved and famous in his hometown, but some people could not help but tease him, especially when he started school. Some children didn’t want to play with him.

But he didn’t let himself be discouraged by this, and it did not take long before Tomm made many friends and became fully integrated into his school. During these years, Tomm still looked a little different, though not as bad as when he was born.

In 2003, he was asked whether he was concerned about how his friends saw him. Tomm answered: “Not really (…) because they are my friends and they don’t really care how I look like.”

Tommy also told 60 Minutes that when he looked at himself in the mirror, he saw “a kind loving person.”