Stories of Hope – Angie

Angie was brought to our clinic when she was seven years old. Underneath the skin of her forehead and nose area, her bone plates had not closed well. Neural tissue protruded behind one eye, and her forehead. We determined that it was a neural tube defect that is rarely seen in the developed world. We learned that it happened to one in 5000 children in Southeast Asia. It is disfiguring, causing family heartache, and serious illness.

Angie was a bright young girl, who otherwise enjoyed good health. She walked to school two miles each day, and made good grades. She was cheerful at clinic, and even found a little broom, and helped us sweep up. Angie was waiting in a line of patients who were waiting to have benign growths removed. Our surgeons quickly concluded that she needed a scan, and then perhaps referral to a neurosurgeon.

Angie’s parents explained that they had been taking her to medical missions at every opportunity since she was one year old, when the lump was the size of a corn kernel. The family never had the money necessary to get a follow up at a specialty clinic. After clinic ended, we sent Angie for a scan. It revealed that the growth of neural tissue was larger than a softball, and that it could well progress to blindness, and death. We arranged for Angie’s mother to take her to a private neurosugical hospital in Manila, where she was placed in a charity ward nearby.

Angie was waiting in a line of patients who were waiting to have benign growths removed. Our surgeons quickly concluded that she needed a scan, and then perhaps referral to a neurosurgeon.

We arranged for Dr. Ranua, a neurosurgeon, to see Angie. Dr. Ranua performed her surgery at no fee, and helped us place her in a better ward. Dr. Ranua removed the neural tissue, and repaired the gap in the forehead bone. Angie was not strong enough to have plastic surgery done at the same time. So, we planned to complete the surgery the following year. Dr. Ranua signed on for the long term, and again donated surgery the following year. He had persuaded Dr. Mapayo, a plastic surgeon to join him in providing care at no charge. Angie has been back at school, doing well. We continue to follow up each year, and will arrange for further after care if or when it becomes necessary. During a dinner with Dr. Ranua, we asked how we could thank him. Without hesitation, the doctor he asked if we would please send more patients like Angie.

Angie was not strong enough to have plastic surgery done at the same time. She lost a great deal of blood, and we planned to complete the surgery the following year. Dr. Ranua signed on for the long term, and again donated surgery the following year. He had persuaded Dr. Mapayo, a plastic surgeon to join him in providing care at no charge.

Angie has been back at school, doing well. We continue to follow up each year, and will arrange for further after care if or when it becomes necessary. When we took out Dr. Ranua, and his team for dinner, and asked how we could thank him, he and his fellow doctors asked if we would please send them more patients like Angie.