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Ollie TreziseLittle Welshman with encephalocele
Country:
 Great Britain |
Content:
Biography of Ollie Trezise
Ollie Trezise, a little boy from Wales, was born with a rare condition called encephalocele, which resulted in a crack in his skull and a part of his brain protruding through his nose. Proud of her son, Ollie's mother, 22-year-old Amy Pool, affectionately refers to her unique little one, whose brain partially developed inside his nose, as the "real-life Pinocchio." Although Ollie resembles the long-nosed character from Carlo Collodi's fairy tale, his enlarged nose is due to different circumstances. At the age of nine months, Ollie had to undergo several painful surgeries to address his breathing difficulties. Amy, a mother of two living separately from Ollie's father, shared that she has been increasingly subjected to cruel remarks about her brave son. Heartless strangers call him a "monster" and utter heartless phrases such as "he should never have been born." Amy said, "It absolutely kills me. Once a lady said to me that I shouldn’t have given life to a child like that. I nearly burst into tears." She added, "To me, Ollie is perfect. He is my little real-life Pinocchio, and I couldn't be prouder of him." Amy first learned about her baby's problems during an ultrasound at 20 weeks of pregnancy. Doctors informed her that they had detected abnormal growth of soft tissues on Ollie's face. Despite being informed, the informed mother was still shocked when she gave birth to her son in February 2014 at Cardiff University Hospital. "When they handed my son to me, I was so taken aback that I could hardly speak," Amy recalled. "Ollie was so tiny, but he had this huge ball-sized lump on his nose." "At first, I didn't understand how I would cope with all of this. But I knew that I would love my son no matter how he looked."
Ollie's Medical Journey
MRI results confirmed that Ollie had an encephalocele, a condition in which brain tissue protrudes through a developing crack in the skull, forming a sac that sticks out. In Ollie's case, the sac appeared on his nose, making him stand out dramatically. Over the following nine months, not only did Ollie's body grow, but his sac also increased in size. The comparison to Pinocchio was inevitable. Worried doctors informed Amy that Ollie needed surgery to open his nasal passage and enable him to breathe easier. "I was so frightened," Amy recalled. "He was going through such a major surgery, and yet he was so fragile. I couldn't even think about the possibility of losing him." "However, the doctors explained that Ollie was at risk of infection. He could develop meningitis if he tripped and hit his nose. That's why I agreed to the operation." In November 2014, Ollie underwent a two-hour surgery at Birmingham Children's Hospital. During the procedure, surgeons opened Ollie's skull, drained the brain fluid along with a portion of the sac, and reconstructed his nose. Similar treatments are only available in Birmingham and three other medical centers in the UK: London, Liverpool, and Oxford. "After the surgery, Ollie had a huge zigzag scar on his head," Amy said. "My son endured so much pain, but he never stopped smiling and laughing." "His positive reaction helped me get through everything much easier."
Ollie's Remarkable Recovery
By now, Ollie has fully recovered. Full of life and energy, the 21-month-old boy loves splashing in the kiddie pool and playing with his four-year-old sister, Annabel. "He has such a strong character," Amy said. "He constantly makes me burst with laughter. Plus, he and Annabel are best friends. This duo always comes up with some mischief." "Annabel even envies her brother because his nose gets more attention," she added. Today, Amy intends to continue raising awareness about encephalocele to help protect other children from insults and mockery. She stated, "I don't want other kids to face the hurtful comments that Ollie has endured. I believe that the best way to combat this is through education." "It would be better if people asked me why Ollie looks the way he does, instead of simply calling him ugly or staring and pointing fingers." In the future, Ollie will require additional surgeries. However, until invasive surgery is approved, doctors will monitor the development of Ollie's skull for some time. Amy said, "We go to the hospital for regular check-ups, and our progress is going very well." "Ollie will probably never look like other children. I am scared to think that he might face teasing in school. Yet, he is such a handsome boy who is simply impossible not to love." "I think he is absolutely perfect just the way he is. There's nothing wrong with having some differences." "Ollie is unique, intelligent, and cheerful. He amazes me every day. He is my special little Pinocchio, and I will never stop loving him." Martin Evans, the head of craniofacial surgery at Birmingham Children's Hospital, stated, "Cases like Ollie's are incredibly rare. I encounter something like this maybe once a year." "We are thrilled that the surgery was successful and wish Ollie all the best in the future."
