3 Year Old Brazilian Girl Gets Rare Facial Tumor Removed

3 Year Old Brazilian Girl Gets Rare Facial Tumor Removed

Jocelyn Reeder, reporter

Melyssa Delgado Braga, a 3 year old girl, was diagnosed with Myxoma, a very rare and aggressive tumor. Melyssa and her family live in Brazil and her parents posted a picture of their daughter on social media. They hoped to get help for their daughter.

Dr. Ghail explained that the tumor is noncancerous but it has eaten away her jaw from one side to the other and displaced her tongue. The tumor caused her breathing to be bad and was pushing her tongue to the back of he throat. The tumor itself weighed about 5 pounds.

According to CNN News, Dr. Celso Palmieri Jr., an assistant professor of oral and maxillofacial surgery at the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, read a post on the Brazilian news site about Melyssa. Dr. Celso Palmieri Jr stated on CNN.com that his department could probably help and particularly, Dr. Ghail and his department.

Dr. Ghail stated to CNN news that he believed  he could help 3 year old Melyssa and turned to Shreveport’s Willis-Knighton Health System. The officials there agreed to provide the family with housing and underwrite the cost of hospital stay. Dr. Ghail flew Melyssa and her family to the U.S for treatment.

The doctors were able to remove the tumor successfully  and Melyssa gained full use of her tongue. She is still recovering from the eight hour surgery done back in December. Her father reported to CNN, ” I am grateful for everything the doctors here have been able to do for my daughter and in only a short month.”