Mom seeks help for baby born without a nose

Baby Timothy Eli came into the world on March 4, 2015 at 4:42 p.m in Foley, Alabama. Weighing 6 pounds and 8 ounces and 19 and half inches long, the little boy known as Eli was born healthy, except for one problem.

"I never expected anything to be wrong with him, every ultrasound I ever had came back normal, so I was expecting a perfectly healthy baby boy, but to my surprise Eli was born without a nose," his mother Brandi McGlathery wrote on the family's Go Fund Me and Facebook pages.

The baby's congenital condition is incredibly rare, and doctors are struggling to figure out the appropriate way to help him.

The newborn has already been examined by an ear, nose and throat specialist, who determined that Eli doesn't have nasal passages or sinus cavities. This means surgeons are unable to build him a new nose with plastic surgery. The family is awaiting results from additional medical tests. The doctors gave him a tracheostomy to help him breathe, and plan to connect a feeding bag to his stomach.

McGlathery created a Go Fund Me page to raise money for her son's care because currently she is unable to work full time and will need to pay for medical treatment and travel expenses. The family set a fundraising goal of $5,000, and as of Thursday afternoon they'd surpassed $19,500.

"I don't know what else to do," McGlathery wrote on her fundraising page. "I would be so grateful for anything anyone could spare, but if you cannot afford to help with money I will be just as appreciative for prayers for my sweet Eli. He has a long road a head of him & we need all the support we can get."