For three years, Janet Sylva lived with a massive tumor that transformed nearly every part of her childhood. The 12-year-old girl from The Gambia had a benign tumor growing in her mouth and jaw that eventually reached approximately 6 pounds (2.7 kilograms)—about the size of a cantaloupe.

The growth made it extremely difficult for Janet to eat and speak, while her breathing became increasingly dangerous. She eventually stopped attending school and began wearing a scarf over her face to hide the tumor from other people. Doctors feared that without treatment, she could eventually die from starvation or complications related to her difficulty breathing.

But in January 2017, Janet traveled to New York with her mother, Philomena, for an extraordinary operation that would change her life.

A Tumor That Took Away Her Childhood

Janet’s mother first noticed the swelling several years before the operation. The tumor continued to grow, eventually becoming so large that it dominated the lower part of Janet’s face.

According to doctors who treated her, the tumor was benign, meaning it was not cancerous. But its size and location made it extremely dangerous. Janet could barely eat, had difficulty breathing and had withdrawn from school and friends.

Her situation became so severe that doctors estimated she might have less than a year to live if the tumor remained untreated. Dr. David Hoffman, a Staten Island surgeon who became involved in her case, described how profoundly the growth had affected the young girl.

Medical treatment in The Gambia and neighboring Senegal could not provide the highly specialized operation Janet needed. Her case was eventually brought to the attention of international medical organizations, opening a path to treatment in the United States.

A Journey From The Gambia to New York

The Global Medical Relief Fund, a Staten Island-based charitable organization, helped arrange Janet and her mother’s transportation, housing and travel to the United States. A team of volunteer surgeons and medical professionals at Cohen Children’s Medical Center in New Hyde Park, New York, agreed to perform the operation at no cost to the family.

The surgical team knew that the procedure would be exceptionally difficult.

Janet would only be in the United States for a limited period, meaning the doctors had to accomplish as much as possible during a single operation. To prepare, they used three-dimensional imaging and virtual surgical planning to create models of Janet’s mouth and tumor and work out the safest approach before entering the operating room.

A Complex Operation

On January 16, 2017, surgeons carried out the procedure, which lasted roughly 12 hours according to reports.

The operation involved removing the enormous tumor and reconstructing much of Janet’s jaw. Because so much of the jaw had been affected, surgeons used a section of bone from her lower leg to rebuild it. The procedure required careful work around important nerves and blood vessels in the face and neck.

The reconstruction was essential. Removing the tumor alone would not have been enough; doctors also needed to restore the structure of Janet’s jaw so that she could eventually regain normal functions such as eating, speaking and smiling.

For the medical team, the operation represented an extraordinary combination of oral and maxillofacial surgery, plastic surgery, reconstructive techniques and advanced surgical planning.

The Smile That Came Back

The transformation after surgery was dramatic.

Janet could once again talk, eat and smile. She no longer needed to hide her face behind a scarf, and her mother described the experience as getting her daughter back.

At a press conference following the operation, Janet appeared alongside her mother and the medical team. Her broad smile became one of the most powerful images from her recovery.

She also shared a remarkably hopeful dream for her future: she wanted to become a doctor when she grew up.

That ambition carried an especially poignant meaning. After spending years unable to live a normal childhood because of her condition, Janet was finally able to look toward a future defined not by her tumor, but by her own dreams.

More Than a Medical Miracle

Janet’s story also illustrates the enormous difference that access to specialized medical care can make.

The surgeons who treated her noted that the tumor had grown for approximately three years and would likely have been treated much earlier if she had had access to comparable medical services. By the time she arrived in New York, the growth had become extraordinarily large and difficult to manage.

Her case was not simply about removing a tumor. It was about restoring basic functions that many people take for granted: eating a meal, speaking clearly, breathing comfortably, going to school and smiling without feeling the need to hide.

It was also a story of international cooperation. A child from The Gambia, a charity in New York, volunteer doctors and a children’s hospital came together to provide treatment that her family could not otherwise access.

For Janet, the scarf that once concealed her face was no longer necessary.

She could finally smile openly.

And perhaps most importantly, she could once again imagine a future in which she would be known not for the enormous tumor that had taken over her childhood, but for the person she hoped to become.

Sources:

• CBS News / Associated Press, “6-pound tumor removed from girl’s mouth” — details of Janet’s condition, surgery, jaw reconstruction and recovery.
• Voice of America / Associated Press, “Gambia Girl Gets Grin Back, Once Melon-Sized Tumor Is Gone” — background on Janet’s journey, the volunteer surgical team and her ambition to become a doctor.
• Medical Xpress / Associated Press, “US surgeons remove 6-pound tumor from Gambian girl’s mouth” — details of the 3-D surgical planning and January 16 operation.
• CBS New York, “Doctors Remove Cantaloupe-Sized Tumor From 12-Year-Old Girl’s Face” — information on the jaw reconstruction and Janet’s recovery.
• New Hyde Park Patch, “Long Island Hospital Gives New Life to West African Girl With 6-Pound Tumor” — background on Janet’s family, medical journey and the role of the Global Medical Relief Fund.