Liz Vitoria - Surgery for a better life

Lis Vitória - Surgery for a better life!

Why do we need your donation?

We started this raising funds because we need your collaboration to pay for Liz Vitória's myelomeningocele surgery. This surgery will help Liz have a better life, enabling her to have control of her leg movements so that she can walk!

Who is Liz?

 Liz Vitória is a 13-month-old baby, so she has been fighting for life since her mother's belly!

 At 24 weeks of gestation, Liz was diagnosed with myelomeningocele, a spinal malformation, for which she underwent intrauterine emergency surgery to correct the myelo. The surgery was a success, but at 35 weeks, labor began, and unfortunately, the back opened a little where the surgery was performed, so new stitches were made to close it.

 However, months later, through an MRI, the need for a new surgery was diagnosed, as there was an anchored spine with fibrosis, nerves, and ligaments all involved.

 What is the risk of not having the surgery?

 If Liz doesn't have this surgery by March 2023, she will suffer from being unable to walk and becoming paralyzed!

Why not have the surgery through SUS - the public health system in Brazil?

This surgery is high-risk and complex, so it is impossible to perform it in the public health system, as specialized doctors are required for its execution. In addition, SUS does not have the necessary equipment for surgery, and the waiting list for a surgery of this size is two years.

What is myelomeningocele?  Why does she have this problem?

 Myelomeningocele is a spine and spinal cord defect that occurs in the first weeks of pregnancy.  The vertebral column, spinal cord, and spinal canal do not usually form.  There is a defect in creating these structures, the cause of which is still not well defined.