For his parents, the problem was never Eli’s face, but rather that others might make him feel there was something wrong with him.
Eli Thompson was born in Alabama with complete congenital arhinia, an extremely rare condition that meant he came into the world without a nose or nasal cavities. Because of this, shortly after being born, he had to undergo a tracheotomy so he could breathe safely.
Doctors spoke with his parents about the possibility of performing facial reconstruction in the future, but they were clear that they did not want to subject him to surgery solely for cosmetic reasons.
His mother, Brandi McGlathery, explained that to them Eli was “perfect just as he is” and that they preferred to wait. If one day he wanted to have a nose, it would be a decision he could make when he was old enough to express what he wanted.
That is why, while others might look at his face and think about what was missing, his parents chose to focus on something completely different: raising Eli knowing that he did not need to look like everyone else to be loved.