Cuban Boy Suffering From 10-Pound Tumor on Face Dies After Surgery

Source: ABC

Emanuel Zayas, 10, was at the Holtz Children’s Hospital at Jackson Memorial to have his 10-pound tumor on his face removed. Although the surgery was successful, his condition spiraled down. Both his kidney and lungs received complications which the Intensive Care Unit could not manage.

Zayas, unfortunately, died Friday night. The news of his death quickly spread, with people on social media sites echoing the sadness of the family. It is worth noting that thousands of people tracked his progress, which turned from desperation to encouragement.

Source: GoFundMe

The head of maxillofacial surgery at the University of Miami Health System, Dr. Robert Marx, announced that the Zayas family donated Emanuel’s remains to science. Dr. Marx, who was also the doctor responsible for the kid’s care, said that this would help them learn more about Polyostotic fibrous dysplasia – the condition that affected Emanuel for the past two years, as reported by Kaplan Herald.

Dr. Marx was quoted saying:

After visiting Emanuel last night and observing a ray of hope from his pupillary reflexes and the muscle tone of his face, I was informed this morning that his condition had turned grave. I am saddened by the fact that we are losing him and that the physiological stress of the surgery was apparently too much for his compromised anatomy. Our hopes of saving his life, and with that allowing him a better quality of life, were not realized.

Although the tumor that covered Zayas’ face was benign, it gradually threatened his ability to breathe as it was firmly pressed on his trachea. Add to this the fact that he was malnourished, as the tumor made it almost impossible for him to eat and drink.

Source: Cuatro

Dr. Marx claimed that the boy’s weight greatly threatened his life. And if they did not do anything, there was a possibility of his neck getting fractured.

The kid’s parents, Noel Zayas and Melvis Vizaino, are both pastors of an evangelical church in the central Cuba city of Santa Clara. They flew to Miami Nov. 27 in hopes to have Emanuel’s tumor treated.