MIAMI, April 23, 2008
Girl Awaits 16-Pound Facial Tumor Removal
15-Year-Old From Vietnam In U.S. For Surgery That Would Allow Her To Eat And Speak Again
-
Play CBS Video Video Girl's Rare Tumor To Be Removed "Only On The Web": A 15-year-old Vietnamese girl is in Miami to have surgery on a tumor that hinders her breathing and eating. The International Kids Fund will provide the surgery.
-
-
Doctors say the tumor threatens to suffocate 15-year-old Lai Thi Dao. They will remove the tumor in a 10-hour surgery on April 29. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
-
Dr. Robert Marx, left, points to a CT scan of 15-year-old Lai Thi Dao during a news conference at the Jackson Memorial Medical Center Tuesday, April 22, 2008 in Miami. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
-
-
Interactive HealthWatch Explore health issues including AIDS, cancer and antibiotics.
Fifteen-year-old Lai Thi Dao suffers from a Schwannoma tumor that has been growing since she was 3. The tumor has severely disfigured her face and kept her from ever attending school.
Doctors at the University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Medical Center say the tumor threatens to suffocate Lai. They will remove it in a 10-hour surgery on April 29.
Schwannoma tumors are usually benign. Lai's doctors say the size of her tumor is extremely rare and that it likely won't return once it's removed.
The International Kids Fund is seeking donations to fund Lai's surgery.
© MMVIII The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CBSNews.com On Digg
More From Health
Add a Comment See all 14 Comments
- This kind of tumor has happened in the US. A lady up in Chicago had a 200 pound tumor from Neuro-Fri-Broma-Tosis. The tumor grew at an astronomical rate. She nearly died of blood loss from the sugery, but would have died had she not had the tumor removed.
- Reply to this comment
- there is a way to help instead of gawking..
http://www.internationalkidsfund.org/ikf_kids/details_press.cfm?news=52&kd_ID=203
MAKE A DONATION. - Reply to this comment
- MAY GOD BE WITH HER & HER FAMILY & BLESS THEM ...
- Reply to this comment
- How does this poor girl eat? This is heart wrenching.
- Reply to this comment
- rf35, this is a very sad story and i don''t think your comment was funny at all, we''re blessed what we have but there are some people out there that are not as fortunate, what you should be doing now is make contribution not mocking other people.
- Reply to this comment
- Would this tumor have been allowed to grow to this size under our system of health care, regardless of cost and her financial circumstances? I hope not!
- Reply to this comment
- Looks like some alien thing attached to her chin and getting ready to crawl out through her mouth.
Is the tumor also causing some hormonal issue that makes her look like she''s 8 years old? - Reply to this comment
- Hey,usmcvn2, get a life, she needs help, you should be ashamed of yourself.
- Reply to this comment
- [But I thought America stinks? Oh, unless youre poor and need REAL Health Care...for FREE!]
[Posted by DaVicar2 at 10:26 AM : Apr 23, 2008]
"The International Kids Fund is seeking donations to fund Lai''s surgery".
it might be free to her ... but apparently only to her ... since everyone else is apparently still looking for their piece. - Reply to this comment
- 15? SHE LOOKS LIKE SHE''S 6......
- Reply to this comment
Pesident Obama's
