Over the years, we at Newsner have shared many incredible stories about special children who survived against all odds. But few have touched our readers’ hearts as deeply as the story of Tomm Tennent.
As some may remember, Tomm was born with enough skin to cover a 5‑year‑old child. The little boy entered 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 — and looking at him today, in 2021, it’s hard not to shed a tear.
A unique child
When Tomm Tennent was born in South East Australia in 1993, his parents quickly realized he was going to be a very special baby.
But before the birth, no one could have predicted that their son would be described as a medical mystery. Ultrasounds had shown that something wasn’t quite right.
When they learned this, Tomm’s parents weren’t sure whether they would continue the pregnancy.
“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,” his dad, Geoff, said.
Despite all the tests and routine examinations, no one could have imagined the severity of Tomm’s condition. His parents admitted they were stunned when they first saw him.
Tomm’s mom, Debbie, was overwhelmed 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 baby born with an excess of skin was a complete mystery. They couldn’t determine what was causing it, and as a result, they had no treatment and no cure. At first, they hoped he would simply grow into his skin as he got older.
But Tomm was so unique that researchers decided to invest time and resources into studying his case in hopes of solving the mystery behind his condition.
In total, Tomm spent two and a half months in a medical center undergoing tests and analysis. Scientists faced a huge challenge: Tomm was the first child on record born with so much skin, leaving them with no precedents to guide them.
It was an incredibly difficult time for the Tennent family. No parent wants to spend months in a hospital with a newborn. But Geoff and Debbie found strength in their resilient baby boy. Tomm remained a lovable toddler, blissfully unaware of his condition.
Doctors continued searching for answers — and eventually, they found something unexpected. Experts noticed similarities between Tomm’s appearance and that of the Chinese dog breed, the Shar Pei. That discovery led them closer to an explanation.
Researchers found that Tomm’s levels of hyaluronic acid — a substance found in skin — were 100 times higher than normal, just like Shar Pei puppies. Since Shar Peis’ hyaluronic acid levels drop as they grow, giving them a more typical appearance, doctors hoped the same would happen for Tomm.
Fortunately, it did. According to his doctor, Dr. Andrew Ramsden, the condition would likely improve as Tomm aged — and he was right.
Growing up, Tomm faced challenges. He was loved and well‑known in his hometown, but some people teased him, especially when he started school. Some children didn’t want to play with him.
But he refused to let it bring him down, and it didn’t take long before he made friends and became fully integrated at school. During those years, Tomm still looked a bit different, though not nearly as dramatically as when he was born. In 2003, he was asked whether he worried about how his friends saw him. Tomm replied: “Not really (…) because they are my friends and they don’t really care how I look.”
Tomm also told 60 Minutes that when he looked in the mirror, he saw “a kind loving person.”
He added: “Sometimes they (people) say I look cool, sometimes they say I look really cool, and sometimes they don’t say anything.”
Of course, Tomm’s parents have always been incredibly proud of their son. “He’s a good boy (…) All he has achieved … he is doing well at school, he is doing well at everything,” his dad said. From the moment he was born, they knew they would never hide him. They believed — rightly — that beauty comes from within and is more than skin deep.
Tomm Tennent today
Today, it has been 28 years since Tomm was born, and he amazed the doctors who once studied him. After the 60 Minutes documentaries, countless people wanted to know what happened to the boy with the big smile and the excess skin. But traditional media have offered few updates.
A look at social media reveals only a glimpse of his life today. On his Facebook page, it appears he has married the love of his life, Hannah. The couple seems happy and lives in Frankston, a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
“Life’s simple. You make choices, and you don’t look back,” is a quote Tomm posted on his Facebook profile — a sentiment that likely reflects his mindset and his life.
It’s truly wonderful to see him today, still wearing the same warm smile he had 20 years ago.
Tomm is incredibly inspiring. I’m so glad he had a loving family who treated him like any other child — and that he now seems to be living a happy life with his wife.
When he was asked what he would change about himself, he answered: “Probably nothing.” Isn’t that how we should all see ourselves?
