This baby was born with ear on cheek due to a rare condition

A baby of a British couple was born with a rare condition, which resulted in missing an eye and an ear positioned on his cheek. The parents were reportedly ‘shocked’ to see this condition.

Vinnie James, born four months ago to Grace and Rhys James, appeared healthy throughout the pregnancy. However, things weren’t the same after the child was born.

Rhys James, 26, the father also recalled the moment when his child was born and found that the newborn ‘wasn’t breathing’ according to The Daily Mail. The doctors rushed their son away after realizing he wasn’t breathing. “They rushed him over to a table, and I didn't know what to do [so] I went into the toilet and started praying,” James reminisced. When he looked at his son, he noticed a small ear on his right cheek. “I didn't know what had happened. I was really shocked at the moment,” James added.

The child was immediately taken into surgery and had to spend 65 days in hospital. The child was later diagnosed with Goldenhar syndrome, which is a condition that affects facial development, often impacting one side of the body.

Goldenhar syndrome is a rare congenital condition characterized by abnormal development of the eye, ear, and spine. It affects one in every 3,000-5,000 births. In Vinnie’s case, the condition affected the child’s right side.

“We didn't know what it was, we were really shocked and had no preparation for it. We sat there, confused and tired,” James said.


A month and a half after the birth, the doctors did a tracheostomy on the child. Tracheostomy is a procedure carried out to help air and oxygen reach the lungs by creating an opening into the trachea (windpipe) from outside the neck. A person with a tracheostomy breathes through a tracheostomy tube inserted in the opening.

The child will need, numerous medical procedures, including receiving a prosthetic eye, which will require annual adjustments as he grows. They are also planning surgery to relocate the ear. There are also plans for surgery to relocate his ear. The family has set up a fundraiser to meet the medical expenses.

The child’s mother, who worked as a receptionist has left the job to take care of Vinnie.
(Pic courtesy: Go Fund me)