- Zoe Mitchell was born prematurely at 27 weeks but appeared healthy
- She had a small red mark on her nose which grew rapidly
- Diagnosed as a haemangioma - a birthmark caused by a benign tumour
- By the time she was eight-weeks-old, she was struggling to breathe
- Had to be fitted with a tracheostomy tube to stop her suffocating
- She was put on steroids but they failed to shrink the growth so she had 12-months of chemotherapy before surgery to remove the growth
- She has just had surgery to rebuild her nose as it was partly destroyed by the tumour
Zoe (pictured, left, at six-months-old and, right, now) had a haemangioma - a birthmark caused by a benign tumour of the blood vessels in the skin. It was so large that it made it impossible for her to breathe normally
Zoe (pictured at two-weeks-old) was born prematurely at just 27-weeks. She had a red mark on her nose which was thought to have been caused by an oxygen mask
The mark grew quickly damaging Zoe's nose and putting her at risk of suffocation. Her parents say it was lucky that she was premature as it meant she was already in hospital when the growth started to affect her breathing. Zoe us pictured at five-weeks-old
When Zoe was just eight-weeks-old she had to be fitted with a tracheostomy tube to enable her to breathe. She is pictured at seven-months-old
Zoe was put on steroids but they failed to shrink the growth so she had a 12-month course of chemotherapy as well as surgery to remove most of the growth. She is pictured at 12-months-old
The tracheostomy was removed when Zoe was 18-months-old but her nose remained disfigured so she had to have further surgery to rebuild it. She is pictured at the age of two
In July this year surgeons at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London operated to rebuild her nose. She said she is very happy with her new nose
Zoe said: 'I think my new nose looks lovely now. I think my surgeon is very clever. I am very happy now'
Zoe's mother, Caroline, said: 'We went ahead with the operation because we wanted her to look a bit "normal". Going out every day and having people staring at you is not nice so we did it for her appearance'
Mrs Mitchell said: 'Zoe is so happy with it now. She is delighted with her new nose. It looks lovely. It is amazing'
Zoe will probably need more surgery when she is 16. She is pictured with her mother Caroline, father Dean, and brother Callum, 12
David Dunaway, consultant plastic and reconstructive surgeon and head of the craniofacial unit at Great Ormond Street Hospital, said Zoe (pictured with her parents) has 'bravely coped' with her treatment
WHAT IS A HAEMANGIOMA?
A haemangioma is the most common type of birthmark. It is a benign tumour of the cells which normally line the blood vessels. In these birthmarks, the cells multiply more rapidly than normal causing a collection of small blood vessels that form lumps in, or under, the skin.
About one in every ten babies has a haemangioma and they are most common in girls and premature babies. They usually appear when the baby is about two-weeks-old and about 60 per cent develop on the head or neck. Most do not require any treatment but those near the eye, on the lips, or obstructing the airway do require treatment. Treatment options include pain relief, beta blockers, laser treatment, steroids and surgery.
Full story read here:Dailymail
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