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Nebraska teen receives life-changing surgery in Houston
FOX 26 Photojournalist Darlene Janik Faires explains what happened and why one Nebraska teen has a lot to be thankful for.
HOUSTON - At age 9, Sylvia House was diagnosed with a very rare and very large brain tumor. Doctors in her home state of Nebraska attempted to remove it when she was 12-years-old. They could not remove it all.
Although the tumor was benign, the placement caused severe daily seizures and affected Sylvia’s speech, memory and cognitive abilities. It also caused constant bullying at school, so she had to be homeschooled.
Her father, Charles House, lives in Houston and works as surgical assistant. He had been desperately searching for a doctor to help Sylvia.
On his very first surgical assignment at HCA Houston Healthcare Clear Lake Hospital, Charles was assigned to the operating room of neurosurgeon, Dr. Subrata Ghosh.
What he witnessed in that surgery convinced him that fate had brought him to that operating room. He asked Dr. Ghosh to look at Sylvia’s case.
Sylvia was moved to Houston from the midwest and Dr. Ghosh performed the surgery in March. She is now tumor-free!
At age 19, Sylvia is ready to finally attend classes, learn to drive, and do all the things she has been missing.