A LITTLE girl faces a race against time as a rare tumour causes her tongue to swell so large she is choking to death on it.
Two-year-old Zhyrille Cruz was born with a swollen mouth and diagnosed with lymphangioma, a rare condition that causes non-cancerous growths in the lymph nodes.
Her poverty-stricken parents Gerry Cruz, 28, and Mary, 22, from Manila in the Philippines are desperately trying to raise money for her to have life-saving surgery before her giant tongue stops her from breathing.
Zhyrille has had a breathing tube fitted in her neck and is receiving chemotherapy to shrink the tumours.
But her condition could be cured with an operation to remove the growths.
“Zhyrille is the light in our hearts. We don’t know what the future holds, but we will make this the best Christmas for her,” mum Mary said.
“Zhyrille is the best gift we could have. Her laughter makes everyone smile.
“I pray every day she will grow up to be a bright and beautiful young girl.
“’I wish for nothing but to see a smile on her lovely face every single second. I want to see her grow up and achieve her goals. That is our dream.”
Lymphangioma is a rare disease of the lymphatic system which causes growths to occur in the mucous membranes, skin and lymph nodes.
It is more common in children.
The growths case the lymph nodes to fill with fluid, which can then cause the tongue to swell.
Doctors believe Zhyrille’s lymphangioma started in the womb.
Her parents, who live with family and earn about £96 a month through Gerry’s wage as a contractor, were unable to afford proper treatment.
Zhyrille finally received medical attention earlier this year after a local charity and the government stepped in to help.
Mary said: “We will do what we can. We work and we save as much as possible for our daughter.
“We pray that the medicine will work and she can have an operation.
“’The doctors have not yet given us an estimated amount for the surgery because she’s still under observation whether she can take the surgery or not although we are expecting it to be really expensive.”
Lymphangioma is not usually fatal, but in developing countries where medical care is expensive and most people live in poverty the death risk is much higher.
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