In 1993, a baby boy named Tomm Tennent from South East Australia was born, shocking not only his parents and physicians but pretty much everyone else on the planet.
Everyone was intrigued by the boy’s odd ailment, which left him with enough skin to cover a 5-year-body, old’s and wondered what his future held.
Although Tomm’s parents were informed that their new baby would be unique, no scan could have forewarned them of the severity of the issue.
They even thought about ending the pregnancy after learning that their kid had a problem, but thankfully they decided against it.
When Tomm came out, Geoff Tennent, Tomm’s father, was stunned, saying, “I didn’t imagine a human, or a little baby, could ever look like that.”
His mother also shared a memory of the first time she saw her son. Even though picking him up and cuddling him brought her heart to her throat, she admitted that it was nice.
Tomm spent a lot of time in the hospital throughout the years—not because he was ill, but rather so that medical professionals could evaluate him and figure out how to best serve him. They had a difficult time figuring out what caused him to have so much extra skin because there had never been a case like his described in the literature.
After more investigation, they were ultimately able to provide Tomm and his parents with some answers.
Experts specifically noted physical similarities between Tomm and the Chinese canine breed Shar Pei. They determined that Tomm’s level of hyaluronic acid, which is present in skin and is 100 times greater than usual in Shar Pei puppies.
Doctors believed that Tomm would eventually experience the same levels of decline that pups experience as they age. And they were accurate.
However, Tomm faced several challenges prior to getting to that stage in his life. In addition, he has always been a charming young man who treasured his appearance.
I inquired if he was worried about how his friends perceived him, and he told 60 Minutes, “Not really (…) because they are my friends and they don’t really care how I look like. Sometimes they (people) say I look cool, sometimes they say I look really cool, and sometimes they don’t say anything.”
There have been 28 years since Tomm and his parents spoke with 60 Minutes. Tomm appears absolutely normal today; there is no extra skin at all.
A lot of people have been curious about Tomm’s appearance over the years, despite the fact that his story received little media coverage when he was growing up—aside from, of course, the moment he was born.
His Facebook page indicates that he and Hannah are a happy couple.
“Life’s simple. You make choices, and you don’t look back,” Tomm posted on his Facebook profile, and we assume this quote sums up his mindset and whole life.
How nice to see him after so many years?
