MIAMI, April 30, 2008
Girl Freed From 16-Pound Facial Tumor
15-Year-Old From Vietnam Undergoes Surgery To Allow Her To Eat And Speak Again
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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.
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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)
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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)
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The Schwannoma tumor had consumed the lower half of 15-year-old Lai Thi Dao's face. It had been growing since she was 3 and eventually accounted for roughly one-third of her body weight.
Doctors at the University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Medical Center say Lai's tumor was one of the largest ever reported. The growth had threatened to cut off her airway.
"At this point the tumor is growing back into the throat," said Dr. Jesus Gomez before the surgery.
Dao was brought in to Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami by the International Kids Fund.
After her surgery, Dao should be able to eat, speak and regain function of her neck.
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 for Dao's surgery to help offset the estimated $107-thousand cost.
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