When a pregnant Amy Poole attended her 20-week anatomy scan, she was surprised to see that her baby’s nose looked a tad different from what she was expecting.
Doctors later confirmed that her son had “unexpected soft tissue” growing on his face.
Despite having seen the evidence during her ultrasound, Amy was still shocked to see her baby, whom she named Ollie, after giving birth at the University Hospital of Wales in February 2014. She tells Daily Mail in a 2015 interview, “When they gave me Ollie to hold, I was so surprised that I almost couldn’t speak.
“He was so tiny, but there was this enormous golf-ball sized lump on his nose. At first, I wasn’t sure how I would cope. But I knew that I would love him no matter what he looked like.”
Following Ollie’s birth, Amy received a multitude of horrendous comments regarding Ollie’s condition.
Complete strangers would call the baby ugly, while others took it much further.
“Once a woman told me I should never have given birth to him. I nearly burst into tears.”
An MRI was conducted on little Ollie, and the doctors diagnosed him with encephalocele, a rare condition which caused a sac-like protrusion of the baby’s brain to grow through a crack in his skull.
As a result of this condition, the toddler (only 21-months old at the time) was forced to undergo painful surgeries in order to help him breathe and to repair the gap in his skull.
It was a stressful time for mother Amy, who tells Daily Mail:
“I was so scared to let Ollie undergo such a major surgery. He was so fragile, and I couldn’t bear the thought of losing him. But doctors explained that he was at risk of contracting an infection or even meningitis if he tripped and knocked his nose- so I agreed to the surgery.”
After the procedure, Ollie was left with a large zig-zag scar across his head.
Amy says, “He must have been in so much pain, but he just kept smiling and laughing.”
Amy is now spreading awareness about Ollie and his condition, saying, “I don’t want other kids to face the nasty comments that Ollie has, and I think the best way to combat this is by education people. I’d much prefer if people asked me why Ollie looks the way he does, rather than just telling me he is ugly or pointing and staring.”
And Ollie- who Amy has dubbed her “real-life Pinnochio”—is doing much better after his surgery.
Although he will likely require additional procedures in the future, doctors are waiting to see how his skull develops before attempting any other invasive methods.
Amy knows Ollie will probably always look a bit different, and she does worry about him being bullied in school. But, despite these differences, Amy wouldn’t trade her toddler for anything, saying:
“Ollie is a unique, clever, funny little boy and he amazes me every day. He is my special little Pinocchio, and I will never stop loving him!”
Wow, what a brave little man!
Here’s wishing Ollie and mama Amy the best of luck for the future!
Please SHARE this with your friends and family.
source: Daily Mail
