Family Hopes Experimental Procedure Will Help Staten Island Toddler With Painful Disease
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) -- A Staten Island toddler will soon undergo a bone marrow transplant in hopes of treating a painful disease.
As WCBS 880's Sophia Hall reported, Cattaleya Velazquez, 20 months, suffers from what is known as the Butterfly Disease. But there is nothing pretty about it.
For those who suffer from the disease, a simple touch of their skin causes bleeding and blisters.
"You treat her wounds like you would any burn patient," said Cattaleya's mother, Linda Velazquez. She's bandaged -- almost her entire body."
In August, Cattaleya will undergo a bone marrow transplant. It is an experimental treatment.
Doctors hope Cattaleya will start producing the donor's collagen, which would help her condition.
"She has a very high threshold for pain," Linda Velazquez said. "One minute she gets hurt. Five minutes later she's happy again."
The operation will take place in Minneapolis. A fund has set up to help pay for the family's expenses.