Trinidad toddler Adiah Despot needs our help in paying for surgery for a potentially life-threatening disease that is disfiguring her face. The two year old, from Point Fortin has what is called a hemangioma on her lower lip.
Hemangioma is an abnormal buildup of blood vessels in the skin. If not treated in time, the buildup will continue growing and could erupt, causing a fatal hemorrhage.
In addition to impacting her ability to eat properly, a hemangioma can cause discolored, loose, wrinkled skin, and possibly a lumpy deformity.
“I just want her to live a normal life I want to be able to go out in public and face other people that treat her the same way they would treat other kids,” said Stacy Despot, Aidah’s mother.
“It’s difficult because going out in public, children don’t want to play with her and are afraid of her and run,” added Despot.
Adiah cannot be treated in her country, does not have medical insurance and her family cannot afford the $85,000.00 operation. In addition, since the girl is not a U.S. resident, the public hospital cannot use taxpayer money to fund her procedure. Instead, it offers her donor-funded medical care through a Jackson Memorial Foundation program.
The program, International Kids Fund’s (IKF’s) Wonderfund, is in a position to transform the Trinidad toddler’s life. IKF’s Wonderfund’s partner in Trinidad and Tobago, Hope of a Miracle Foundation, contacted the organization so Adiah could come to Miami for an evaluation and proper treatment.
On Thursday morning, program members held a news conference at the Diagnostic Treatment Center (DTC) at Jackson Memorial Hospital, where they announced a fundraising campaign for the surgery whic would be performed at Holtz Children’s Hospital in Miami.
“Adiah’s treatment will be managed in phases, the first, and most important, is the surgery we will perform to remove an isolated part of the lesion under her chin, as well as other areas,” explained Dr. Seth Thaller, chief and professor of the Division of Plastic Surgery at UM/Jackson Memorial Hospital.
“We are confident that in time we will be able to completely remove the entire hemangioma. After surgery, we will monitor Adiah closely to ensure there are no episodes of hemorrhaging and evaluate her every six months for follow-up treatment,” added Thaller.
“If it bleeds it can be life threatening,” cautions Thaller.
To help Adia please use the following sources:
- Online. Visit www.wonderfund.org
- Via phone. Call 1-877-453-5437
- Via mail. Send a check or money order to:
IKF’s Wonderfund
Re: Adiah Despot
P.O. Box 2020
Miami, FL 3310
CBS4′s Neighbors 4 Neighbors is also helping and you can make a donation through N4N by clicking HERE. Select “Family Fun” as the program designation, select “on behalf of” and then write “Adiah Despot” in the text box.
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