#10 Meet Melyssa Delgado Braga
Carol, 21, Manassés, 25, and three-year-old Melyssa are from Sao Paulo, Brazil. At the time this picture was taken, the tumor was in the initial stages of growing.
#9 Massive
The doctors at the Santa Casa de Misericórdia Hospital in São Paulo upon inspecting the tumor discovered that it was one of the largest myxoma tumors they had ever seen. The bright side was that these kind of tumors were benign and not cancerous.
#8 US
The family realized that the US was their only hope of finding suitable help.
#7 Her mother says...
"We were told her only chance of survival was by seeking help in the United States. We knew the costs were going to be huge so we started the Ajudem a Melyssa campaign to raise money for flight tickets and for staying in the country," explained her mother Carol.
#6 Offer
After hearing about Melyssa's condition, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Centre in Shreveport offered their expertise at no charge to the family.
#5 Surgery
After 8 hours of grueling surgery, the doctors finally managed to remove the five-pound tumor.
#4 Different
"Melyssa's case was particularly special because of the size of the tumor. This one was by far the largest we have ever seen," said Dr. Palmieri.
#3 Better
The doctors used a titanium insert to rebuild portions of her jaw, which will have to be replaced with larger ones as she grows.
#2 Generous
"We can’t believe how generous doctors in America and the charity have been. We are so grateful for everything that has been done for our daughter and all within less than a month," says Carol.
#1 Recovery
Know how Melyssa's doing! Watch the video!
