Boy Ollie Trezise living in the town of Maesteg, Wales, UK, was not born with a normal appearance like other children. Ollie is known as “the Pinocchio boy” because of his unusually large and elongated nose. Fate teases the boy when Ollie constantly receives criticism and ridicule, but that is also the motivation to help him and his family rise to adversity.
Ollie’s mother, Amy Poole, said that during her pregnancy, her health was still very normal, but when she went to an ultrasound at 20 weeks pregnant, doctors discovered something unusual on her face. Baby Ollie. It is a soft tissue that develops on the face. Amy was mentally prepared for this but when baby Ollie was born in February 2014 at the University Hospital of Wales, she and everyone else were still in shock.
Amy said: “When they let me hold Ollie for the first time, I was so surprised I was almost speechless. He was very small but he had a lump the size of a golf ball on his nose. At first., I don’t know how I faced this but then I realized, I will always love him no matter what he looks like.”
After baby Ollie was born, she was admitted to the intensive care unit and had to undergo several medical examinations. An MRI scan confirmed that the cause of the lump on Ollie’s face was a brain tumor – a defect in the brain that grew through a hole in the skull, creating a bulge. In Ollie’s case, a bulge developed on her nose forming a large lump. This condition is extremely rare, with only 1 in 10,000 children in the US being born with this defect each year.
In the first 9 months of life, when baby Ollie’s body grew, the lump on the nose was still there. The tumor was quite large, occupying nearly half of the face, causing the nose to be deformed, so Ollie was given the nickname. as “Pinocchio boy”.
Despite her son’s unusual appearance, Amy did what any mother wants to do, which is to love her son unconditionally. Amy has faced many obstacles and gossip from family and friends, but is determined to put her son first. However, it has not been an easy journey for Amy and baby Ollie.
Whenever Amy took her son out, people would stare at him and call him ugly. Ollie received a lot of cruel comments from strangers. Someone even said that the boy should not be born. These things broke Amy’s heart.
“For me, Ollie is the perfect person. He is my little Pinocchio and I will always be proud of my son,” Amy shared.
Fortunately, baby Ollie still receives words of encouragement and comfort from relatives and kind people. Most people say that Ollie is no different from normal children, just has a bigger nose. Ollie has a lively and cheerful personality, to the point that her older sister Annabelle is jealous of her.
“Ollie and Annabelle are best friends, they always play together. Even Annabelle is jealous to see her brother get so much attention,” Amy said.
Doctors then told Amy that Ollie needed to undergo surgery to open up his nasal passages and help him breathe normally. Amy recalls: “I was terrified to let Ollie undergo such a major surgery. He was so fragile and I wouldn’t be able to bear the thought of one day losing him. But the The doctor explained that Ollie was at risk of a brain infection or even meningitis if he accidentally tripped and hit his nose, so I agreed to surgery.”
In November 2014, baby Ollie underwent a two-hour surgery at Birmingham Children’s Hospital. Doctors cut the boy’s skull to remove the diverticulum of brain fluid and reshape his nose. Ollie’s condition is so rare that other specialists are involved from Great Ormond Street Hospital, Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool and John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford.
“After the surgery, Ollie has a big scar on his head. Maybe he was in a lot of pain but he could only laugh. His positivity also made me a lot more secure,” Ms. Amy shared.
Martin Evans, head of craniofacial surgery at Birmingham Children’s Hospital, said: “Cases like baby Ollie are extremely rare, perhaps I only see them once a year. We are delighted with the operation. succeeded and wish him all the best for the future.”
After only a short time, baby Ollie recovered. Ollie proved to be a lively, naughty boy who loved to splash around and was extremely close to his sister Annable. Ollie’s jokes made Amy laugh many times. Now, Ollie has also started school and has a very good academic record.
In the future, baby Ollie will need to have a few more surgeries, but doctors will have to wait for the growth of the skull before proceeding with more invasive procedures.
Amy then recounted her experiences to raise awareness of the condition and prevent bullying among other children with the same condition. She said: “I don’t want other kids to have to deal with the negative comments that Ollie has and I think the best way to combat this is education, propaganda. I’d be happier if people were there. asked me why Ollie looked like that, instead of pointing and staring and calling him ugly.”
