Two year old Silvina Gomez is truly a Christmas miracle.

Three weeks ago Australian doctors in East Timor said she wouldn’t be alive for Christmas: she was being suffocated by a cystic swelling the size of a football in her neck. But thanks to Moira Kelly OA from the Children First Foundation, staff at Royal Children’s Hospital and the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons team in East Timor, Silvina will be home to celebrate Christmas in her village of Natabore.

RCH surgeon Professor Paddy Dewan, who co-ordinates the paediatric surgical component of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons service to East Timor, decided to operate after being contacted by Glenn Guest, an Australian surgeon in East Timor. Silvina’s tumor had grown rapidly, making it increasingly difficult for her to breathe. Prof Dewan said, ‘Silvina had a huge cystic hygroma, a congenital abnormality of the lymph vessels in the neck. The tumor was benign but she was suffocating due to the pressure on her upper airway necessitating an urgent operation.

Silvina spent four days in intensive care following an eight-hour operation which successfully removed the bulk of the cysts obstructing the airway.

Moira Kelly said passports and visas were arranged within six hours. ‘That in itself is a miracle,’ said Moira. ‘Arrangements were made so rapidly, I knew Silvina was meant to survive. She’s a real Christmas miracle.’

Silvina’s mother Albertina is thrilled to be taking her daughter home on Friday to be reunited with her sisters and brother. Follow-up in East Timor will be by the visiting surgeons who travel there as part of the RACS team.

Media is invited to meet Silvina and Prof Dewan tomorrow.

• DATE: TUESDAY 17TH DECEMBER 2002
• TIME: 11AM
• PLACE: ELLA LATHAM MEETING ROOM, 1ST FLOOR RCH

Media enquiries, please call Julie Webber 0407 327 418 or 9345 5522 and page.

This story received the following media coverage:

• The Herald Sun – 18th December
• The Age – 18th December
• Channels 7, 9, 10, 2 news