Bullied teen who had 44 surgeries for rare skull condition now training as doctor

Bullied teen who had 44 surgeries for rare skull condition now training as doctorImage source, Rick MatthewsImage caption, Thomas Pearce with his brother Ollie, a current student at St David's CollegeByOliver SlowBBC WalesPublished29 June 2026, 18:10 BSTUpdated 1 hour agoA teenager who underwent 44 surgeries for a rare skull condition has said it was the inspiration of the surgeons who treated him that made him want to become a doctor.Thomas Pearce, 19, from Old Colwyn, Conwy, has Pfeiffer Syndrome, which causes the skull to prematurely fuse in the womb, distorting the shape of the head and face.He was bullied for his condition when he was younger, and spent significant time in hospital, but is now studying to become a doctor at Cardiff University."I always looked up to the surgeons for what they did for me, and I wanted to be like them from an early age," he said.Pearce has Pfeiffer Syndrome Type 2, external, one of the most serious forms of the illness, which he described as when "my skull doesn't grow as normally as it would from birth"."It means I have had to have a lot of surgeries to make space for my brain to grow into, since the skull wouldn't grow on its own," he said, adding that he underwent 44 "very specialist" surgeries at Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool.Pearce said he also has hydrocephalus, external, a build-up of fluid in the brain, and needs a shunt "which drains fluid away".He said that when he was in primary school he was subjected to bullying for his condition and the time he spent in hospital."I think that took a toll on my confidence… I was very shy and I didn't want to engage much with teachers," he said."I had a big problem with eye contact - I just wouldn't look anybody in the eye."However, he said his confidence started to improve when he attended secondary school, thanking teachers at St David's College, Llandudno.Pearce said...