Harrison "Gray" Canales has been defying medical odds for 22 years, and with a brand new nose, he's planning a bright future. One, no doubt, filled with major accomplishments!

Gray Canales is one of two sons of John and Mary Jo Canales of Flower Mound, Texas.

Unexpected News From the Ultrasound

John and Mary Jo learned they were expecting their first child in 2001, and everything seemed to be going fine until the day of the sonogram at 20 weeks. Mary Jo told People, "The tech kept taking longer and longer, and then went to get the doctor. At that point we knew something was going on." Still, they were not prepared for the news that the doctor delivered.

Doctors told the couple that the images did not show a nose. They did not expect the baby to breathe on his own, and they feared he would not survive. Additional tests confirmed that Baby Canales did indeed not have a nose, had problems with his legs and feet, and likely would be born with some degree of brain damage.
Grey Canales’ Medical Challenges

For John and Mary Jo, a minister and church secretary, respectively, terminating the pregnancy was not an option. Mary Jo told People, "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."

Born five weeks early via an emergency C-section, Gray faced a myriad of medical challenges. As expected, Gray had no nose and was born without eyelids. Gray's little legs were turned in more than 90 degrees, his feet were missing toes, and he'd been born without a right frontal lobe.

This left him with limited mobility on his left side. However, the infant was able to breathe on his own, and he was even able to leave the hospital NICU after only one week!

Once home, Gray's care required tremendous time and energy. The couple exercised their son's legs, cleaned and dressed his nasal area, and constantly lubricated his eyes until he was given eyelids through surgery at six months.
Nearly 30 Surgeries

Gray Canales is now 22 years old, and he has had nearly 30 surgeries. Eleven were connected with his nose reconstruction alone. Despite all of this, Gray is a healthy and happy young man. He enjoys baseball, listening to music, and helping at his church.

His parents homeschool Gray, and he has grown up with the same friends he made in childhood. His tight-knit church community has provided him with stability and abounding love. Gray shared, "I watch movies with friends, play video games. Nobody has ever treated me differently."
John and Mary Jo Are Like Any Other Parent

While John and Mary Jo have worked tirelessly to provide their son with the best and most "normal" upbringing possible, they don't claim to be special. John stated, "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."

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