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, 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 baby would have health challenges. Doctors revealed that they couldn’t detect the baby’s nose, leaving a big possibility that the child would be born unable to breathe independently.
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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 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, there was a hole in 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. Because many other people deal with disabilities too,” John revealed.
They also made sure that he received proper medical attention and spent money on several surgeries to address his health issues. After over 25 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.’ But we were like every other parent, just dealing with each day as it comes,” John said in an interview.
Social media users who read and saw Gray’s story were touched by what he and his parents endured. “28 surgeries wow God bless this little boy awe ❤️❤️. He is a fighter. [sic],” one person wrote.
“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 and emerged 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 as he is expected to undergo more surgeries. His parents, 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.