7-year-old girl was released from hospital today after major abdominal surgery.
Heather McNamara is a lively and funny 7-year old who looks as carefree as any other girl her age. Nothing in her cheerful demeanor betrays that Heather underwent a risky procedure little more than a month ago, in which surgeons removed six of her vital organs and a tumor the size of a baseball. Today, Heather looked happy and untroubled upon being released from the hospital.
In a 23-hour procedure in early February, surgeons had to take out the young girl's small and large intestines, liver, pancreas, spleen and stomach so they could remove the myofibroblastic tumor, which was intertwined with her vital organs and major blood vessels. The surgery, which was only the second of its kind and the first one performed on a child, appears successful.
Heather's liver and small and large intestines were re-implanted, but her stomach, pancreas and spleen were too damaged to be saved. Instead of a stomach, Heather now has an intestinal pouch to hold food. Daily insulin injections and digestive enzymes will allow her to live without a pancreas. Without a spleen, she may be more susceptible to infections.
Smiling brightly, Heather appeared with her family at a news conference today at New York–Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital, where the surgery was performed. She said she was looking forward to going home and playing with her sister, and her dog, Angel.
The 7-year old girl, who looks like a little angel herself, gave an optimistic message to anyone who's sick, or has a child who's sick: "There is hope."
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