Tomm Tennent: The Extraordinary Baby Born with Enough Skin for a Five-Year-Old

In 1993, the birth of Tomm Tennent in South East Australia astonished not only his parents and doctors but also the entire world. Tomm was born with a rare condition that left him with enough skin to cover the body of a 5-year-old, making everyone curious about what his future would hold.

Tomm’s parents knew their baby would be different, but no ultrasound could have prepared them for the severity of his condition. When informed something was wrong with their baby, they even considered terminating the pregnancy. Fortunately, they chose to proceed.

Source: YouTube/60 Minutes Australia

In a 2003 interview with 60 Minutes Australia, Tomm’s father, Geoff Tennent, recalled his shock, saying, “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 mother also shared her initial reaction, stating, “My heart came up to my throat, but at the same time it was lovely to pick him up and cuddle him.”

Over the years, Tomm spent considerable time in hospitals, not due to illness but because doctors wanted to study his condition and find ways to help him. His case was unprecedented, making it difficult for them to understand the cause of his excess skin.

Source: YouTube/60 Minutes Australia

Eventually, research provided some answers. Experts noticed similarities between Tomm and the Chinese Shar Pei dog breed. They discovered that Tomm’s level of hyaluronic acid, found in the skin, was 100 times higher than normal, similar to Shar Pei puppies. Since these levels decrease as the puppies grow, doctors hoped the same would happen for Tomm. They were right.

Despite facing challenges, Tomm always embraced his unique appearance. When asked if he was concerned about how his friends saw him, Tomm told 60 Minutes, “Not really (…) because they are my friends and they don’t really care how I look. Sometimes they (people) say I look cool, sometimes they say I look really cool, and sometimes they don’t say anything.”

Source: YouTube/60 Minutes Australia

Since the 2003 interview, 28 years have passed, and Tomm now looks completely normal with no excess skin. Although his story did not receive much media attention during his upbringing, many people wondered how he turned out.

Source: YouTube/60 Minutes Australia

According to his Facebook profile, Tomm is happily married to his wife, Hannah. He shared a quote that encapsulates his outlook on life: “Life’s simple. You make choices, and you don’t look back.”