The medical community was shocked by Tomm Tennent’s strange look when he was born in 1993. His parents, Geoff and Debbie, were worried because he had too much skin on his tiny body.
But Geoff and Debbie decided to pay attention to their son’s life, which was what really mattered. “What’s meant to be is meant to be,” Geoff said, praising Tomm’s uniqueness.
Medical tests showed that the amounts of hyaluronic acid were very high, like those found in Shar Pei puppies. Docs hoped that things would get back to normal over time.
As Tomm got older, he had to deal with bullying and social problems. But he wouldn’t let being mean define him. “They don’t really care how I look,” he said, showing a lot of strength.
The year 2003 was when Tomm was sure of who he was. “I see a loving, kind person in the mirror,” he said, accepting who he really was.
Today, Tomm, who is 28 years old, and his wife live happily in Australia. “You make choices and you don’t look back” is his simple but deep life philosophy.
We can learn a lot from Tomm’s story:
Self-acceptance gets you through tough times.
Inner beauty shines brighter than outer beauty
Accepting differences makes you real.
The way Tomm changed makes us want to embrace what makes us different and find power in that.
