Heather McNamara, a 7-year-old girl from Long Island who had six vital organs removed during a life-saving operation last month to remove a large tumor is "doing fantastic," her parents said today.
Doctors performed Heather MacNamara's high-risk surgery after discovering a tennis-ball sized tumor that would have been inoperable without the removal of the her organs.
The surgery, though extremely risky, was necessary if doctors wanted to save Heather’s life, Dr. Steven Lobritto, an internist, pediatrician and gastroenterologist with Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital, told FOXNews.com.
The abdominal tumor was wrapped around the organs and essential blood vessels, and previous medical experts determined it was unresponsive to chemotherapy and inoperable. Surgeons removed Heather McNamara's stomach, pancreas, spleen, liver, and her small and large intestines to reach a tumor the size of a baseball.
Cancer experts said that while it used to be impossible to live without a pancreas, daily injections of insulin and enzyme pills can substitute. Doctors held a news conference at the hospital, detailing the intricacies of the procedure which took a physical and emotional toll on everyone involved.
The girl now has a pouch fashioned from intestinal tissue to hold food, doctors told USA Today.  It's the first time an operation such as this has been performed on a child, and only the second time ever it's been performed in the U.S., Lobritto said.
"We came here with no hope, and they gave us hope," Tina’s mother said. "It's a miracle, it's the best day ever."