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In March 2015, an American tourist contacted the NPDF explaining she had met a five-year-old severely handicapped girl while vacationing in the Dominican Republic. Ashley was born with facial deformities and underwent several surgeries in the Dominican Republic but requires additional procedures that cannot be done in her country. The NPDF obtained all the child’s medical records and started a search for any organization or hospital that could help. The NPDF succeeded in convincing the “Fresh Start Caring Foundation” to do the surgery pro-bono. This organization transforms the lives of disadvantaged infants, children and teens with physical deformities caused by birth defects, accidents, abuse, or disease through the gift of reconstructive surgery and healthcare services. |
| Ashley was scheduled to undergo a pre-operative appointment on September 8, 2015 and scheduled surgery for October 26, 2015 by Dr. Russell Reid of the University of Chicago Medicine, Comers Children’s Hospital in Chicago. On September 2 to 6, 2015, the NPDF traveled to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic and succeeded in convincing the American Consulate to issue emergency U.S. medical visas for both Ashley and the mother. The NPDF brought them to the United States where they underwent the pre-operative testing. Unfortunately, the testing disclosed that the facial deformities were attached to the Ashley’s brain, which made the operation life threatening. The surgery was cancelled and is still a pending Operation Kids case. | |