Baby with rare condition born without a nose

Parents always have dreams and goals for their unborn children. Brandi McGlathery and Troy Thompson are no different. "I said I wanted him to have blond hair," Brandi recalled. "And Troy said, 'I hope he doesn't get my nose.'"

>> Controversy: Facebook claims photo of baby Eli too shocking

What sounded like a joke became serious when little Eli was born.

"I pulled back and said, 'Something's wrong!'Brandi told Al.com. "The doctor replied, 'No. He's perfectly fine.' Then I shouted, 'He doesn't have a nose!'"

Eli was born with a condition called complete congenital arhinia, one of only 37 cases. Simply put, it means exactly what Brandi screamed, he doesn't have a nose. The baby began breathing through his mouth immediately. "Didn't faze him at all," Brandi told the site.

Brandi said doctors took Eli out of the room for several minutes, then quietly returned alone.

"He had the most apologetic look," she told the site. Doctors explained the condition and then rushed Eli to a specialty hospital. Doctors performed a tracheotomy to help Eli breathe more easily.

There are other complications. Eli has no sinus cavities and won’t be able to smell. His brain is lower in his skull, and his palate aren’t completely formed.

Despite the problems, Brandi became the first mother to breastfeed a complete congenital arhinia child.

A Go Fund Me account has raised nearly $5,000 to help with the "years of surgeries and doctor's appointments nowhere close to us," Brandi concluded. You can follow the progress on Eli's facebook page.

More here.