Prior to the birth of Eli Thompson, his father joked that he hoped his son would not inherit his appearance. Moments after little was born, however, the room was filled with solemnity and concern. Brandi McGlathery, the infant’s mother, immediately recognized that something was wrong.

She stated, “I stepped back and exclaimed, ‘Something’s wrong!’”The physician responded, “No, he is perfectly healthy.” I immediately exclaimed, “He lacks a nose!”

Eli Thompson was born in 2015 with congenital arhinia, a condition in which the nostrils, nasal, or sinus cavities do not form. This is an extremely uncommon disease. According to McGlathery, on March 4 in a bar in Mobile, Alabama, Eli Thompson began to inhale through his lips. 

She stated that his lack of a snout “didn’t bother him at all.”

5 days after being admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit at Children’s & Women’s Hospital, Brandi McGlathery reports that the infant underwent a tracheotomy.

“The nurses here and at the Ronald McDonald House have gone above and beyond,” she remarked. “The nurse from the pod visits her ‘lover’ for a check-up.” She developed an attraction to him. 

She replied, indicating to her dozing son’s crib, “We think he’s great just the way he is.”

“We will refrain from touching him unless he requests a nose.” “We must take each day as it comes.”

According to Eli’s mother, before his nasal passages can be surgically reconstructed, he must complete puberty. She stated that she will prevent him from undergoing superfluous cosmetic surgery until then.

Tragically, the 2-year-old passed away at the Mobile Spring Hill Medical Center. Eli’s father, Jeremy Finch, posted on Facebook, “We lost our little friend last night.” 

Although Finch stated that they will never understand why this happened, he added that he was “so fortunate to have had such a wonderful child in his life. He completed his sentence much earlier than expected, but it was God’s time to bring him home.”

Thousands of Facebook users responded to Finch’s post by expressing their condolences to Eli’s family.