Baby Eli Thompson who was born with no NOSE due to ultra-rare condition tragically dies aged just two
Eli Thompson who had faced many health complications passed away at just two years old
AN AMERICAN toddler who touched hearts across the country after he was born without a nose has died.
Eli Thompson passed away on Saturday night at Springhill Medical Center in Mobile, Alabama - just three months after celebrating his second birthday on March 4.
He was born without any nasal passages or sinus cavities - an extremely rare condition known as congenital arhinia - which only affects one in 197 million births.
The tot, who had faced many health complications, also had to undergo a tracheotomy at only five days old.
His devastated dad, Jeremy Finch, said Eli was a "very, very bright and happy, always smiling and giving everybody fist bumps".
He told : "He touched a lot of people's lives. A lot of people cared about him."
Jeremy revealed his son was able to communicate through sign language and his favourite sign was "cookie"
He added: "The first thing he did every morning was to ask for a cookie, and he recently received the "Cookie Monster Award" from his daycare."
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His dad described Eli as a high-spirited boy and got on with other children.
In 2015, he got the chance to meet another child with the same condition - little Tessa Evans from Ireland who was two years old at the time.
After the pair met, Tessa's mum said: "To get to introduce Tessa to Eli was like a dream come true and it meant the world to us to sit and talk with his family."
"Tessa was totally taken with Eli and hugged him and stroked his head. Watching Eli gaze up at her was too precious for words."
A page has been set up to cover Eli's funeral expenses which has so far raised £14,000 - exceeding its £9,000 target.
What is congenital arhinia
The condition is defined as the abscece of external nose and nasal cavities.
It is an extremely rare condition with 47 reported cases in the history of modern medicine, according to the American Journal of Neuroradiology.
The cause of arrhinia is not known.
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