“I’m not nervous,” DeAndrea said shyly, shaking her head with a smile. “I want to learn from my surgery so I can be a good doctor one day.”
Every bit a thirteen-year-old girl, the teenager from Antigua was wearing pink and had styled her hair carefully. She had traveled to with her mom, Deborah, to Richmond, to receive surgery to repair severe scoliosis.
“I’m much more nervous than she is,” admitted Deborah.
The family learned about World Pediatric Project just this year during WPP’s first ever scoliosis-specific mission to the Eastern Caribbean. A 98 percent curvature of DeAndrea’s spine posed a major threat to her life.
“Something was wrong,” said Deborah. “As she grew, we saw more and more twist to her body. Looking at her made me sad but we had no money to help her.”
WPP contacted Dr. Kuester at VCU Health System who generously agreed to correct the condition. Once in Richmond, DeAndrea immediately began
appointments with Dr. Kuester and was scheduled for the procedure. Though lengthy and complex, the surgery went well and DeAndrea’s determined spirit helped her recover quickly.
“Now she can be a normal girl,” said Deborah, who profusely thanked WPP donors and medical volunteers for making this incredible gift possible for her daughter.
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