Thanks to an anonymous benefactor a three-year-old girl will be able to smile, talk, and laugh, just like the other kids.
A lymphatic malfunction caused a benign lump on Kaitlin Nguygen’s face that not only hindered both talking and eating, but also made a huge bulge in her cheek. The toddler’s mom reached out to Dr. Gregory Levitin, Director of the Vascular Birthmark Center at Mount Sinai Roosevelt in New York, to inquire about its removal.
Unfortunately, health insurance would not cover the facial procedure and Kaitlin’s parents could not afford its high cost. But Levitin reached out to a nameless contributor who previously paid for the removal of a patient’s large birthmark. The backer was happy to help and the girl’s deformity was repaired on Tuesday.
Before the surgery Kaitlin’s mom said to ABC News, “I want to say thank you to the donor who made this happen.”
The procedure has been called a “real game changer” and offers hope for Kaitlin to live a normal life. She already has been taught the right attitude: before surgery the toddler answers a question on camera, saying she knows that she’s already pretty.
(WATCH Kaitlin’s moments before surgery below)
Photo Courtesy of Dr. Gregory Levitin