Parents Refused to Give Up on Their Son Without a Nose – At 22, He Looks Amazing After 28 Surgeries

Gray Canales was born without a nose, among other health complications. However, he was blessed with parents who supported and raised him normally. Today, 22 years later, he is like any other young man and, thanks to medical advances, had a nose constructed.

During her 20-week sonogram, Mary Jo Canales, a Church office manager, already had a hunch that something was wrong. The attending technician took a while until they eventually called the doctor.

It was then that she and her husband, John Canales, learned that their unborn infant would have health challenges. Doctors revealed that they couldn’t detect the baby’s nose, leaving a big possibility that the infant would be born without being able to breathe independently.

They also learned that the baby had problems with his legs, feet, and brain. Still, this did not stop them from being parents. Mary Jo and John continued the pregnancy, knowing that their child was a blessing.

“We thought, ‘This baby is still our gift and our joy, and you don’t turn down a gift.’ But I cried constantly. I had no idea if I’d get to meet my son,” Mary Jo said.

As expected, when Harison Gray Canales was born five weeks earlier, a hole took the place of his nose. He also had no eyelids, missing toes, and legs bent over 90 degrees.

Mary Jo and John still pushed for their son to have the best possible life. They home-schooled him and raised him with perseverance. “We taught him not to feel sorry for himself,” John revealed. “Because many other people deal with disabilities too.”

They also made sure that he received proper medical attention and spent on several surgeries to address his health issues. After almost 30 surgeries, with much focus on reconstructing his nose, Gray is now a young man in his 20s with eyelids and a nose.

“People say, ‘God gives special-needs kids to special parents,'” John said. “But we were like every other parent, just dealing with each day as it comes.”

Social media users who saw Gray’s story on the internet were touched by what he and his parents endured. “28 surgeries wow God bless this little boy [sic],” one person wrote. “He is a fighter.”

“Strong parents, strong son. Praying for you,” added another. Two Instagram users also complemented Gray’s nose. “His nose looks amazing to be honest,” one shared. His nose actually looks great!” wrote another.

A GoFundMe page has since been set up for Gray, which revealed he had mild cerebral palsy, bilateral facial cleft, developmental delays, and club feet. Nevertheless, he was resilient through it all and came out as an “amazing young man of Christian character and faith.”

The page, set up by friends from the family’s church, aims to raise $150,000 for Gray’s medical expenses and equipment. His parents, who have been spending endlessly for Gray’s needs, have since depleted their retirement funds.

Not long ago, another GoFundMe account was set up for Cindy Mullins, a mom of two who lost both her legs. The donations will be used to fund their new life, including medical bills that may arise.