Marlie Casseus

Marlie Casseus (born 1992) is a Haitian teenager who attracted national and international media attention when she received surgery to remove a 16-pound growth from her face that threatened her ability to eat, breathe, and see.

Background

Casseus suffers from polyostotic fibrous dysplasia, a genetic condition in which the bone structure is replaced by connective tissue. This condition affects more than one bone in the body, impairs skeletal growth and development, and can cause deformity.^[1] The growth probably started when she was five to eight years old, but advanced until her facial features were completely disfigured. It blocked her nasal passage and most of her mouth so that she could only breathe and eat through one very narrow passage. Always a social impediment and a stigma, the growth eventually prompted her to become completely reclusive to avoid public ridicule.^[2] Before surgery, the bone growth had become a 16-pound tumor-like mass that covered almost her entire face. It was threatening her breathing and would have eventually caused blindness if doctors hadn't operated.^[3]

Surgeries and post-op

Marlie became a patient of the International Kids Fund, a program of the Jackson Memorial Foundation, when her parents heard about a previous case in which IKF helped save a girl with a facial tumor. All surgeries were performed at the Holtz Children’s Hospital, at the University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Medical Center in Miami, Florida. The first surgery, in mid-December, 2005, was a 17-hour procedure that resulted in the removal of much of the growth from both sides of her face.^[4] During subsequent surgeries, doctors inserted and replaced a titanium plate in her jaw, rebuilt the interior of her nose and jaw, and drew her eyes and lips back together.^[5] Other bones were replaced with titanium and polyethylene implants.

After her initial surgeries, doctors indicated that Casseus might require further cosmetic surgeries at a later date, but indicated her growth would not return. Marlie has since had additional surgeries to rebuild her facial structure, center her eyes and remove her tracheotomy. After a succession of surgeries and a recuperation process, Marlie was allowed to return to her home of Port-au-Prince, Haiti in December 2006.

In June 2009, the International Kids Fund flew Marlie back to the United States for a seventh surgery to remove excess scar tissue and replace her facial implants.^[6] She will require follow-up surgeries and as such, the International Kids Fund continues to raise money for her medical care.

Marlie's journey was first documented on the Discovery Channel. Since then, her story has also been featured as an hour-long documentary on Discovery en Espanol's "Extraordinary Stories."^[7] A follow-up to the original Discovery Channel documentary was aired in September 2009.^[8]

A Haitian non-profit named Good Samaritan helped with transportation costs and the hospital's International Kids Fund collected donations for the surgery. Doctors and surgeons donated their time.^[4]

References

1. ^ Polyostotic fibrous dysplasia definition - Medical Dictionary definitions of popular medical terms easily defined on MedTerms. MedicineNet.com. Retrieved 11 June 2009.
2. ^ Kay, Jennifer (27 November 2006). "Reshaped face gives teen new outlook". The Seattle Times (AP). http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2003449275_face27.html. Retrieved 2006-11-29. 
3. ^ "Doctors say surgery to remove massive growth from girl success". MSNBC (AP). 15 December 2005. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10477033/. Retrieved 2006-11-29. 
4. ^ ^{a b} "Doctors say surgery to remove massive growth from girl success". USA Today (AP). 15 December 2005. http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2005-12-15-operation_x.htm. Retrieved 2006-11-29. 
5. ^ "Haitian Teen Has 4th Surgery on Face". ABC News (AP). 6 October 2006. http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Cosmetic/wireStory?id=2535765. Retrieved 2006-11-29. ^{[dead link]}
6. ^ "Girl With Tumor To Undergo Surgery".WPLG. Retrieved 2009-06-18.
7. ^ Discovery en Espanol's 'Extraordinary Stories' Will Astound & Move Audiences With Accounts of Remarkable Courage Hispanic PR Wire. Retrieved 20 July 2009.
8. ^ 'Marlie's New Face: Four Years On', TLC channel

External links

• Marlie's story at the International Kids Fund

Persondata
Name	Casseus, Marlie
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Date of birth	1992
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