In 1993, a remarkably singular event took place in South East Australia. Tomm Tennent was born with a condition that was beyond anyone’s comprehension. The remarkable nature of his ailment had previously been suggested by ultrasounds, which left his parents to consider a difficult choice.

Thank goodness, Tomm’s father took a choice that altered their path in life. His father, Geoff Tennent, disclosed, “We had a conversation and we decided to embrace whatever destiny had in store for us.”

Tomm’s illness was too severe for anyone to have been prepared for by any number of medical exams or examinations. His parents were beyond shocked when they saw him for the first time in the delivery room. When they laid Tomm on her chest, Debbie Tennent, Tomm’s mother, was astounded by what she saw.

She recounted, “Holding him close was a stunning moment, but at the same time, my heart skipped a beat.” Tomm’s condition perplexed the medical professionals.

There were essentially no therapy choices available because the cause was still unknown. They thought that as Tomm grew older, the prominent creases would disappear as his skin adjusted naturally.

He was in the hospital for around two and a half months, which was a difficult time for him and the medical researchers. Eventually, they found that Tomm had a disease similar to that observed in Shar Pei puppies—an excess of hyaluronic acid in his body. Tomm’s levels of this material were noticeably higher than usual, though. It’s interesting to note that as Shar Peis age, their skin changes due to a decrease in hyaluronic acid levels. The doctors thought Tomm might suffer the same fate.

Physician Dr. Andrew Ramsden stated that Tomm’s condition would probably become better with age. He was correct, too! As predicted by the physician, Tomm’s condition did worsen over time.

Early in life, Tomm had to deal with bullying and being left out of school because of his unusual appearance. Even though he still had some slight physical defects, they were much less noticeable than when he was born.

It has been thirty years since Tomm’s extraordinary birth, which shocked the medical community. It appears that Tomm is contentedly married to Hannah in Frankston, Victoria, Australia, despite his sparse social media activity. “Making decisions and going forward is what life is all about,” Tomm wrote on Facebook.

A new baby is such a joy to behold, but there’s also an innate need to protect him or her from the unknown. The birth of their daughter thrilled Cristina and Blaize, the main characters in our next novel. But soon after, they learned that their child had an uncommon illness that had originally baffled medical professionals.