MIAMI (WFOR/CNN) – Emanuel Zayas was born with a rare disorder that can cause uncontrollable growth.
When he was 11, a bump on his nose began to grow and is now nearly the size of a basketball and weighs 10 pounds. Untreated, it would kill him.
“It’s life threatening by its very weight,” said Dr. Robert Marx with the University of Miami Health System. “If nothing is done it will cause a fracture of his neck or it will suffocate him from breathing just by its physical size.”
Two months ago, Marx learned about the 14-year-old boy and offered his help. Marx is the chief of oral & maxillofacial surgery at UM Health System. He’s one of the few surgeons in the world capable of removing the benign tumor and reconstructing the his face.
He traveled from Cuba with his mom and dad.
“I thank God for the opportunity to come here. I’m grateful for these wonderful doctors,” said Noel Zayas, Emanuel’s father.
Jackson Health Foundation is raising funds to provide medical care for the teen. Donations can be made here.
Marx and other members of the surgical team will remove the tumor during a surgery that is expected to last 10 to 14 hours. In a few months, Emanuel will likely undergo a second surgery to reconstruct his face.
“I thank the lord,” Emanuel’s mother Melvis Vizcaino said. “I’m so glad the doors were opened to come here. I’ve been helped by so many who don’t know us.”
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