3-year-old Melyssa Delgado Braga is a happy little girl from São Paulo,
Brazil.
But sadly, she was born with a serious disability which made her life very
difficult right from the start.
Luckily, she had parents who made the decision to do everything they could
to give their child the chance to live a healthy and normal life.
But that would have never been possible without the help of few strangers
with hearts of gold.
Not long after she was born, a tumor was discovered on Melyssa’s Chin, TheDaily Express reports,
Even though it was benign, the tumor eventually led to several health
problems. It continued to grow and by the time little Melyssa was 3 years old,
she could no longer eat or talk properly.
The massive outgrowth had become so big that it had started to affect her
blood stream.
As a result, little Melyssa started becoming so weak that she was
constantly tired and could barely gather the strength to move or play with her
younger brother.
With time, her immune system was also being affected by this horrific
condition.
Melysa’s parents, 21-year-old Carol and 25-year-old Papa Manasses, were in
a state of desperation. There seemed to be no one who could give their little
girl the medical help she needed.
Good healthcare in Brazil can be a tricky to find and can vary based on
where you live and what you can afford.
State driven hospitals are often crowded, understaffed and getting an
appointment with a doctor is difficult.
Carol and Manasse were growing more impatient and frustrated with hospitals
and couldn’t stand to just wait and watch their little girl suffer from the
horrific tumor. They were overwhelmed with a feeing of guilt because they were
unable to provide a better life for Melyssa.
The parents decided to take matters into their own hands and began
researching online. The couple started a website where they shared their
daughter’s story.
Their goal was to try and win over people’s hearts and raise enough money
to be able to treat Melyssa in the United States. Their dedication and
persistent struggle would soon pay off.
The Brazilian doctor Celso Palmieri happened to stumble upon Melysa’s story
and called her parents one day.
The doctor was touched by the family’s story and their unfortunate destiny.
He and his colleague Dr. Ghali are responsible for facial surgeries and
specialize in helping children.
Surgeon Ghali works at the Shreveport Hospital in Louisiana and offered to help
the family. The doctors flew the whole family to the United States for the
treatment.
The medical procedures would be long and painful — everyone agreed that
Melyssa would need her family by her side during those difficult and long
hours.
And that’s not all.
Willis-Knighton Health System, a non-profit health care organisation agreed
to pay all costs, both travel expenses and the full cost of the treatment.
Melyssa’s parents couldn’t believe it all.
“We were desperate to save our daughter’s life,” the mother told The DailyExpress. “Surgeons in Brazil told us our Melyssa was going to die because the
treatment they wanted to give her would be too much for her weakened immune
system.”
But soon Melyssa’s suffering would end. When the doctors examined the
3-year-old girl for the first time, they were shocked to see how big and
difficult the tumor was. It had begun to attack Melyssa’s jaws and teeth. It
had become a parasite that was penetrating itself into the little girl’s body.
The operation would be significantly more difficult than the doctors had
expected — there was a chance that it would be unsuccessful.
And so arrived the big day of the surgery.
Her family was sitting nervously in the waiting room. The clock was ticking
and for every minute that passed, Melyssa’s chances of survival were at stake.
But then finally — after 8 long hours, the operation was done. The doctors
managed to remove an impressive 5 pounds of tumor tissue and everything had
worked out smoothly.
Melyssa would be able to start a new chapter in her life and as she woke
up, she could hardly believe what she saw in the mirror.
The surgery had left a pretty big scar on Melyssa’s cheek but regardless of
that, she had never looked more like a healthy girl!
And she sure felt better than ever before too — this was the best day of
both her and her family’s life.
Just a few weeks later, Melyssa was able to eat on her own for the first
time.
Although there is still a long way left until Melyssa is fully recovered,
her situation is way better than it used to be.
In the next 10 years she will need to attend regular medical visits to make
sure the tumor doesn’t return.
It’s going to costs a lot of money but nonprofit organizations have said
they will help the family all the way until she is perfectly healthy.
Melyssa sure is one brave little girl.
Thanks to her family and experienced physicians, it has been possible to
fight the horrible tumor that once threatened her life.
It’s amazing what can happen when we get together and help one another.
Melyssa and her family can now live a happy and healthy life
— this makes my heart warm up.
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