Jun. 02, 2005 - 19:06 MDT

THAN LATER

It is a cause for celebration I think when a child is liberated from a life in the prison of their own body. Such is the case of Milagros Cerron of Peru. Born with sirenomelia, her legs fused together from heels to groin. A few quotes from the article in the Rocky Mountain News of today. In part:

"Doctors successfully separated the fused legs of a Peruvian baby during a risky, operation, and said they hoped the vivacious, bright-eyped girl would be walking in two years."

"But they cautioned that 13-month old Milagros Cerron will need years of reconstructive surgery before she is fully healed."

"Doctors had planned to begin repairing the birth defect only up to the child's knees, but Wednesday's procedure exceeded their expectations and they separated the entire length of her legs."

"At a news conference later Wednesday, (Dr.) Rubio said Milagros had moved one of her legs since the operatin. He said her legs would be kept bound together for five to ten days so that she does nor harm to them while they heal. "

"After that, we will begin to flex the knees," he said. He said only one more oeperation, instead of the expected two, was needed to fully reconstruct her hip area to allow her to walk."

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There is much that remains to be done though and the child has still a hard row ahead of her. More quotes:

"But Rubio said Milagros would need up to 15 years of corrective surgery to repair her reproductive, digestive and other internal organs. Among other problems, she has a deformed left kidney and a very small right kidney."

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The article says that Milagros weighs 14 3/4 pounds and measures 25 inches long, about the size and weight of a 6-month-old.

A thirteen month old baby the size of a 6-month-old child. I think now is the time to open up long-haul vibes to send in her behalf and those of us who pray to send prayers her way. The financial end appears to be covered by the Lima Peruvians. But the years and surgeries will be painful for her and she will have to struggle for normalcy. Things that come with human kids as normal accessories will have to be achieved by her through the help of surgeons, mentors and therapists.

I do hope and pray for her that she lives up to her name, which means in Spanish, "Miracles" and that she lives in the end a normal and happy life.

It is crushingly hard on a little one, and also on her relatives to see a little one suffer. But the way I see it, it is better to do it for her now THAN LATER . . . . . . . . . .

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