A new face for Marlie

Writer's note: This is a story that I wrote as a Sun-Sentinel intern on December 17, 2005. I put this on my blog because I saw the little girl in this story on an update story on TLC. I was shocked to have been there at the beginning of her struggle and now know that she is moving toward the life her mother spoke to me about..marriage, kids and happiness. The only story that has ever truly moved my soul and is the reason I'm in this business. Please read and enjoy. -Alex


Marlie Casseus gave doctors a thumbs-up sign when she woke up from a 17-hour surgery to remove nine pounds of a disfiguring growth from her face.

Though she can't yet speak, the surgery gives the 13-year-old Haitian girl new hope of living a normal life, doctors at
Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami said Friday. They are optimistic that they've controlled the genetic disorder that caused the lesion.

"She is doing extremely well. She is a brave little girl and she is very excited," said Jesus Gomez, an oral and maxillofacial surgeon who led a team of pediatric surgeons, operating room technicians, and anesthesiologists on Wednesday.

They made intricate incisions that opened her face "like a book" to remove the growth and align her eyes, Gomez said.

She's already off the respirator, but is sedated to control pain, he said.

The growth, which threatened the girl's breathing and eyesight, would have eventually killed her, Gomez said.

The rare growth is caused by Polyostotic Fibrous Dysplasia, a rare disease that affects one out of every 15,000 to 30,000 people. It began growing five years ago, about the time Marlie hit puberty. It swelled her face to the size of a bowling ball, impaired her speech and crippled her with pain.

Doctors hope to continue rebuilding her face in about eight weeks, a process that will include several more surgeries. Because there is no cure for the disease, they'll continue to monitor Marlie to make sure the growth doesn't return.

Maleine Antoine, the girl's mother, said Friday that she's elated with the results.

"When I would look at Marlie, I would question how they will do such a [surgery]," she said. "It was a terrible shock when I saw Marlie because I'm looking at her and I remember my little girl before she became sick, and now she looked so good. It was a joy for me."

During the long surgery, Antoine said she prayed and focused on the teen's future.

Marlie won't be able to speak or eat on her own until sometime next year. Doctors say her sense of taste and smell will likely never return.

The 80-pound girl arrived in Miami 10 weeks ago after a mission group visiting Haiti learned of her condition. Word spread resulting in an outpouring of donations from around the world -- including Hong Kong, Iceland, Germany, France, Spain and Sweden -- to cover the $95,000 surgery.

Doctors donated their services.

Marlie was seemingly healthy at birth, and her condition went unnoticed in Haiti because of limited medical technology. Early testing could have prevented the growth, Gomez said.

While Marlie rarely complained about the growth, her mother said she was bothered by the reaction of strangers, who often gasped, stared or pointed when they saw her.

Gina Eugene heard about Marlie while on a mission trip to Haiti. She went to the girl's home in Verrettes and persuaded the mother to come to the United States.

"I was not prepared to see her, even though I had been warned," said Eugene, 50. Eugene and her twin sister, Ginette Eugene, run Good Samaritan for a Better Life.

The group works with the International Kids Fund to raise money for the medical needs of Haitian children.

"She has touched the hearts of people all over the world," said Josephine Mora, community outreach manager of the International Kids Fund, a philanthropic program of Jackson Memorial.

On Friday, Marlie's mother said she's glad her daughter's misery is "over."

"I feel so happy that is my dream coming true," Antoine said. "I see that God put me in hands of good people with very generous hearts."


---The International Kids Fund helps children who cannot find or afford
treatment in their native countries. It helps find appropriate doctors and
pay for sophisticated surgeries and treatments. For donations to the
International Kids Fund and to help Marlie, call 305-585-5888. One hundred
percent of the donation will be earmarked for Marlie's surgery and her
post-operation care.