Physical Health Brazil Project #26672

Better chances for childhood cancer in Brazil

by GRAACC - Support Group for Adolescents and Children with Cancer

Better chances for childhood cancer in Brazil

Project Report | Sep 24, 2018
Technology and expertise save a baby's eyes

By GRAACC | Project Leader

Initiation of treatment

Elisa was only five months old when her mom, Juliana, noticed that her eyes were slightly crossed. When she took Elisa to her ophthalmologist appointment, she learned that her baby had a tumor known as a retinoblastoma in her eye. Juliana’s worry and fear were only relieved when her ophthalmologist sent Elisa to the GRAACC Hospital, one of Brazil’s leading treatment centers for ocular tumors.

What most terrified Juliana was the possibility that Elisa might lose her eye. “I was really scared that my baby might lose her eye, and her eyesight. That made me so sad. But when the doctor from the GRAACC team told me her would do everything he could to save Elisa’s life, I realized that it was her life that mattered the most, and that I would do anything to keep her with me,” said Juliana.

At the GRAACC Hospital, Elisa had everything she needed for a cure. After a high tech exam to diagnose her tumor, a fundoscopy, the medical team discovered a vitreous seed – which can give rise to tumors - in Elisa’s other eye. “This quick, precise exam was the key to beginning treatment early,” reported Juliana.

Then Elisa received three forms of chemotherapy: systemic chemotherapy, which is administered via the bloodstream; intra-arterial, which delivers chemotherapy through a catheter to the ophthalmologic artery; and intraviteal chemotherapy, in which chemotherapy is applied directly to the location of vitreous seeds. These modern techniques increased the likelihood that the treatment would preserve Elisa’s eye and vision.

After ten months of treatment, Julian got the news she had longed to hear: her daughter didn’t have cancer anymore, and could see with both eyes, with no permanent complications.

Your support is a vital part of ensuring that moms like Juliana can celebrate the health and well-being of their children. Thank you!

During treatment

Now a days

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