There's new hope today for a young man with an unusual facial deformity. Inside a small doctor's office, thousands of miles from his home in Letterkenny, Donegal County, Ireland, 17-year-old Alan Doherty prepares to receive a life-changing medical procedure and the most precious gift of all for Alan and his family -- the gift of hope. Alan was born without a jaw or lower face, an extremely rare congenital deformity called Otofacial Syndrome. Because of it, he uses a tracheostomy to help him breathe. He cannot speak or eat, except through a stomach tube.
He communicates by typing into a voice computer. "I've often wondered what it's like to taste food," he typed.
On Monday, a team of surgeons at Mount Sinai Hospital will begin the remarkable process of reconstructing Alan's facial deformity and rebuilding his face.
Ultimately, a bone from Alan's hip will be transplanted into his lower face to create a jaw. There will be more surgeries to get to that point. It could take a year and a half to complete, but the prognosis is good. There is optimism.
Video & Source: Wcbstv
Tags: Jaw | Surgery | Medicine
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