Maria's story

My daughter Diana gave birth to twin girls on June 23, 2005, Maria and Patricia. Both were beautiful and healthy, as well as intelligent (we could tell!). But Maria had a congenital malformation, known as pffd (proximal focal femur deficiency). Basically, she had almost no hip-bones and her femur was severly stunted on her right side. Subsequently, her tibia and foot, which were normal, jutted out from where her hip/femur should have been. And of course, her leg was about half as long as her good leg.

Though she was fitted with a prosthetic leg and foot as soon as she began to walk, and has led a normal life (she runs, climbs, rides a bike, etc) her parents investigated possible remedies for her and after much research and soul-searching, have decided to take her this summer to Dr. Dror Paley in West Palm Beach Florida. There he will operate on her to set her hip and then begin a four-month process of leg-lenthening.
The process consists of breaking the femur bone continually, forcing it to create new bone as it heals. Hopefully it will grow 6-8 cm. during these four months. To help us all get through this experience, Angel and I, as well as Diana, her husband Icho, and Maria, Patricia and little Paula, will all go together to West Palm Beach on July 1. We have rented a house with a pool and hope to create a “family holiday” atmosphere.

Angel will stay for two weeks only and then hopefully return in Oct. for a week or so. Icho will stay until Sept. 9 and then go back to Madrid with Patty and Paula. Diana and I will be with Maria until the end.
This blog is to keep all my friends and family informed of her progress and about our adventures in Florida.

If I´ve sent this link to you, consider yourself in the group!

Welcome to Marichi in Miami…