Mexican boy branded ‘the monster’ battles growth on face

A four-year-old boy has defied doctors expectations by successfully battling a watermelon-sized growth on his face that nearly choked him to death.  

Mateo de Jesús Márquez Juárez, from Mexico, suffers from lymphangioma – which causes life-threatening cysts to grow on his chin, neck and face.

Doctors spotted the malformations during an ultrasound and recommended that his parents should abort him because he ‘would not survive’.

But the youngster, from Xalapa, defied their expectations when he entered the world and was kept alive, hooked up to breathing tubes.

Mateo’s cysts continued to swell to the size of a large watermelon, prompting cruel strangers and schoolchildren to brand him a monster.

Now, after two life-changing operations to reduce the tumours they are apple-sized, he is doing ‘wonderfully’, but his family are fundraising for more treatment in the US.

It’s hoped they will remove some of the loose skin left by the malformations as well as shrinking and draining other cysts to give Mateo a better life.  

 

Mateo de Jesús Márquez Juárez, from Mexico, suffers from lymphangioma – which caused deadly cysts to grow in his chin, neck and face

His mother, Arianna Juárez Ramírez, 32, said: ‘People stare at Mateo, especially the children, and make comments, I fear her will be rejected when people look at him.

‘There are children who in games choose Mateo to be the one that chases them, the one that must catch them and called him “the monster”.

‘I just want to make it clear that Mateo is a very strong child and he ignores many comments from them.’

Mateo’s parents have since taught him to develop ‘deaf ears’, and describe him as ‘beautiful’ regardless of his malformation.

Mrs Ramírez added: ‘We have also learned to make “deaf ears” and to go ahead since the people who love Mateo are in great number.

‘We learn in this way to be strong, sometimes we know that children often do not understand what they are saying.

‘It is a complicated situation because we must know how to act intelligently as parents and understand that our mission is hard.

‘In my eyes Mateo has always looked beautiful, we love his cheekbones and even the malformation.

Doctors spotted the malformations during an ultrasound and recommended that his parents should abort him because he 'would not survive'

But the youngster, from Xalapa, defied their expectations when he entered the world and was kept alive, hooked up to breathing tubes

Doctors spotted the malformations during an ultrasound and recommended that his parents should abort him because he ‘would not survive’. But the youngster, from Xalapa, defied their expectations when he entered the world and was kept alive, hooked up to breathing tubes

‘He is a happy and brave boy with lots of light, life and strength, he attends kindergarten, sings, dances and participate in all activities.’ 

Broken by the news

Mrs Ramírez, married to Abelardo, 39, was informed about her son’s malformations during her five-month ultrasound.

People stare at Mateo, especially the children, and make comments, I fear her will be rejected when people look at him

Arianna Juárez Ramírez, 32

Doctors initially warned her child may have Down’s syndrome, which caused Mrs Ramírez pain and impotence, before the actual diagnosis was made. 

She was hoping to find out if she was expecting a boy or girl, but was left ‘powerless’ when the heartbreaking news was revealed.

Mrs Ramírez said: ‘I wish it was me who had to suffer the disease not my son. 

‘I collapsed for a moment and cried, I begged that the doctor had made a mistake with the diagnosis, I prayed and asked for strength.’

Repeated suggestions to have an abortion 

Doctors repeatedly suggested she should have an abortion as they were adamant Mateo would die during pregnancy, or shortly after birth.

Mateo's cysts continued to swell to the size of a large watermelon, prompting cruel strangers brand him a monster (pictured with his brother Emiliano Marquez Juarez, seven)

Mateo’s cysts continued to swell to the size of a large watermelon, prompting cruel strangers brand him a monster (pictured with his brother Emiliano Marquez Juarez, seven)

Now, after two life-changing operations to reduce the tumours they are apple-sized, but his family are fundraising for more treatment in the US. He is now doing 'wonderfully'

Now, after two life-changing operations to reduce the tumours they are apple-sized, but his family are fundraising for more treatment in the US. He is now doing ‘wonderfully’

LYMPHANGIOMAS: THE FACTS

Lymphatic malformations, sometimes called lymphangiomas, are growths that stem from cysts.

The non-cancerous masses are stem from abnormal development of the lymphatic system – part of the body’s natural defences, experts believe.

Children are born with them, however, they don’t always display themselves until they grow older.

Most often they strike patients in the neck or armpits, but can also be found in the mouth, arms, legs, stomach and even the lungs.

They can appear as just a small spot on the skin, or can be instantly visible as a large mass. 

Treatment depends on the size, shape and location of the masses – but they have been known to regrow.

Source: National Institutes of Health 

They warned the tumour was so large that it was compromising his neck, face and his ability to breathe.

But the couple rejected medical pleas. They said: ‘My husband and I could not understand why because he was alive, moving and I could feel him inside me.

‘Thankfully we had strength and decided before any medical diagnosis that Mateo should continue to grow in my womb.’

Hooked up to breathing tubes 

After he was born, he was connected to breathing apparatus in intensive care and survived – but the hospital lacked urgent medical equipment.

Mateo was transferred to a hospital in Mexico City – 183 miles (295km) away. There, they cut part of his malformation out. He was also fitted with a tracheostomy cannula because he was unable to breathe on his own. 

Mrs Ramírez said: ‘The microcysts had enveloped his trachea making it difficult for air to flow to the airway.’

Since then, he has undergone another surgery to cut away more parts of the tumour, a gastronomy tube fitted to deliver nutrients, and has been given a special drug by doctors at Cincinnati Children’s hospital.

Despite his facial differences, Mateo is a happy boy who does not let his problems affect him

Despite his facial differences, Mateo is a happy boy who does not let his problems affect him

His mother, Arianna Juárez Ramírez, 32, said: 'People stare at Mateo, especially the children, and make comments, I fear her will be rejected when people look at him'

His mother, Arianna Juárez Ramírez, 32, said: ‘People stare at Mateo, especially the children, and make comments, I fear her will be rejected when people look at him’

The combination of treatments have acted ‘wonderfully’ and helped to reduce the size of the cysts, Mrs Ramírez added.

‘Before the treatment, his face was much larger, his scars were tense and pulled to the side, his cheeks were very large.

‘Mateo’s tumours were the size of a large melon before and now the numerous small cysts are around the size of an apple. 

‘His face today is soft, it’s beautiful, you can feel his jaw on both sides of his face and around his chin bone the microcysts were greatly diminished.’ 

Scheduled surgery 

The family are now fundraising for surgery in Cincinnati in two months’ time that will remove excess skin left by the tumours and reduce the cysts.

Despite his facial differences, Mateo is a happy young boy who does not let his problems affect him.

Mrs Ramirez explained: ‘Since the treatment at Cincinnati Children’s hospital, his microcysts have been disappearing and the growth has stopped.

‘After almost two years of taking sirolimus, the trachea is slowly being released and the air has begun flowing through the mouth and nose

‘Before he was not able to swallow and we had to feed him through a gastronomy tube but he’s making a lot of progress now.

‘In December, the surgery they will perform will remove skin that already hangs on Mateo due to the reduction of the tumor, also it will remove cysts and drain lymph fluid from the malformation.

‘They will operate the entire right side of their face, which is already left over and will reshape his face.

To donate visit here. 

Mrs Ramírez (left), married to Abelardo (right), 39, was informed about her son's malformations during her five-month ultrasound

Mrs Ramírez (left), married to Abelardo (right), 39, was informed about her son’s malformations during her five-month ultrasound

Mrs Ramírez added: 'We have also learned to make "deaf ears" and to go ahead since the people who love Mateo are in great number'

Mrs Ramírez added: ‘We have also learned to make “deaf ears” and to go ahead since the people who love Mateo are in great number’

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