Grandad's heartbreaking statement after condition left his nose so big he couldn't kiss his wife

A grandad has issued a heartbreaking statement after a rare skin condition left him unable to kiss his wife.

Around 10 years ago, Gerard McAliece noticed that his nose was beginning to increase in size, brushing the change off as 'just another part of life'.

However, the 68-year-old was actually developing a skin condition called rhinophyma, a swelling of the nose which leads to it growing in size and gaining a red, thick and bulbous appearance.

As the condition developed, Gerard became increasingly self-conscious about his appearance, leading him to avoid going for a pint in his local pub or out for dinner with his wife Carol due to fears that strangers would stare at him and make comments.

The pensioner noticed his nose growing 10 years ago, but didn't initially think much of it (Kennedy News and Media)

"My nose kept growing and growing - I tried to ignore it as much as I could," the Scottish native recalled.

"People began to stare, and some would turn away, but my view was 'this is me. take me as I am'."

The condition even progressed to the point where he was unable to kiss Carol for years, one of the biggest impacts which rhinophyma had on his life.

Gerard eventually sought out private treatment for his condition after feeling like his GP would dismiss his concerns as 'cosmetic'.

"When I went to the doctor I saw a locum and they asked if I could breathe and I said 'yes', and they said 'that's OK then'," he explained.

"After that I didn't discuss it with my GP because I didn't think they would do anything about it, as they would deem it as cosmetic."

The grandfather also began to worry about the reactions from younger children, revealing that he would often stress about attending birthday parties for his grandkids due to fear of comments.

"In retrospect, the younger kids were the worst. I mean no harm to them, but they have no guilt at that age, and no filters," he recalled.

However as his nose grew, Gerard became self-conscious and made heartbreaking revelation that he feared comments from children the most (Kennedy News and Media)

"I used to really worry at my grandchildren's birthday parties, 'What do their wee pals think?' Are they saying 'Is that your grandad?"

Eventually, Carol would reach out to the private Ever Clinic in Glasgow for an assessment, with the team labelling Gerard's condition as the 'worst case of rhinophyma they'd ever seen'.

Despite the extent of the growth on Gerard's nose, the clinic was able to operate, with the pensioner revealing the four-hour procedure had 'turned his life around'.

"The result has been fantastic, it has totally turned my life around," Gerard said, revealing the couple didn't tell family members until after the surgery.

"Carol says that I'm back to being the man that I used to be. I am now talking to people, going for a pint and enjoying meals out in restaurants, which we haven't done for years.

"If there is anyone out there in the position I was in, my advice to them would be don't wait. Just do it."

He has since been able to have surgery at a private clinic and said it had turned his life around (Kennedy News and Media)

Jonathan Toye, managing director at Ever Clinic, added: "Gerard was easily the most advanced case of rhinophyma we've seen at Ever Clinic.

"Unfortunately, he struggled to find the help he needed through the NHS, and we see this far too often.

"We've reached out several times to explore how we might support in managing these cases, but so far there's been little progress.

"Dr Cormac really outdid himself with this case, and the result is outstanding.

"We're so proud of the whole team and hearing Gerard talk about how it's changed his life has been a proud moment for all of us."

NHS Scotland has been contacted for comment.