Anon Donor Pays for Girl’s Life-Changing Operation

We all want our children to grow up to be happy and healthy, and we will do anything we can to make sure that happens. But there are some things beyond our control. Take Kaitlin Nguyen from California, for example. She is only three years old, but she was born with a lymphatic malformation in her face. There is a lump in one of her cheeks, next to her mouth, which makes it difficult for her to do certain things we take for granted, such as talking or eating. The lump is quite large but isn't cancerous or life-threatening. However, Kaitlin's mother, Thuy, was hoping that it could be removed before the little girl started school, to avoid bullying from other children who don't understand. A lymphatic malformation is a build-up of fluid called lymph that can appear anywhere on the body, but typically in the neck or armpits. The lymphatic system is part of the immune system, a network of vessels that lymph circulates through. A lymphatic malformation forms when these vessels fail to form correctly during the first few weeks of pregnancy, and as they occur so soon after conception that they can't be prevented. The family approached Dr Gregory Levitin, who is the Director of the Vascular Birthmark Center in New York . Unfortunately, their California-based insurance company was unable to pay for the surgery in New York, and it was too expensive for the family to afford on their own. In the past, a person who wishes to remain anonymous reached out to the doctor, wanting to pay for the surgery of a man with a large birthmark. This man couldn't afford to pay for the operation, so the donor stepped in and paid the costs. The donor was so please the results that he informed Dr Levitin that he would be willing to pay for the operation of someone else who wasn't able to afford it. "These are people who have fallen through the cracks and wouldn't have gotten surgery otherwise," explained Dr Levitin. So Dr Levitin spoke to this unnamed person about Kaitlin, showing him a couple of pictures and telling her story. The donor fell in love with the little girl in those pictures and said he would be happy to pay for her surgery. On April 7, Kaitlin went into the operating theatre to undergo the long and challenging operation of having the lymphatic malformation removed from her face - and it was a success! "This was a real game-changer operation," described the doctor. "It's my expectation that she will be just like any other three-year-old girl who walks down the street with beautiful brown eyes and a cheery smile." Kaitlin is recovering well, and it looks like she can look forward to the bright and happy future her parents wanted for her. And this is all down to an anonymous person who just wants to help other people. "I wanted to say, 'Thank you,' to the donor who made this happen for Kaitlin," her mother said. "I would love to thank him!"