Maria and Teresa’s Story

Click here to read more about Maria and Teresa.

Click here for a complete timeline of the twins.

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Why did Maria and Teresa need help?

Twins Maria Teresa and Teresa Maria were born in the Dominican Republic conjoined at the abdomen, sharing a liver and part of their gastro-intestinal system. Maria ate constantly, desperately trying to maintain some of the nutrition which was passed to her sister. By the time they were 18 months old, Teresa was 20 percent larger than little Maria.

Unfortunately, the expertise and resources needed to assess and potentially separate the girls donot exist in the Dominican Republic. In addition, the family could not afford the cost of advanced medical care or travel to the U.S.

How did World Pediatric Project help?

Once World Pediatric Project learned about the twins through Dominican partners, WPP arranged for them and their mother to travel to Richmond, VA, for testing and potentially separation at WPP’s partner hospital, Children’s Hospital of Richmond of the VCU Health System. WPP volunteer, surgeon-in-chief Dr. David Lanning, accepted the case.

 

How are Maria and Teresa today?

After six weeks of intense physical therapy and recovery, the girls returned home to the Dominican Republic eager to see their entire family. Now they are walking on their own and developing their unique, individual personalities!

Information about Dr. David Lanning:

Surgeon-in-Chief, Children’s Hospital of Richmond of the VCU Health System

• Dr. Lanning has volunteered his time and expertise with WPP since 2007, traveling on mission teams to St. Vincent & the Grenadines and Belize and accepting patient cases WPP brings to the U.S. for advanced pediatric care not available in their home countries.
• His first mission with WPP was to the country of St. Vincent and the Grenadines.  Since then, he has made a trip once-annually to operate at the public referral hospital to save the lives of children from St. Vincent and the surrounding Eastern Caribbean region.
• These cases are critical surgical cases such as esophageal atresia and anorectal malformations.
• While planning for his January 2009 surgery trip to St. Vincent, a referring pediatrician in the WPP network on St. Lucia recommended a newly trained pediatric general surgeon travel from Jamaica to participate with Dr. Lanning and his team.  Dr. Lanning was so impressed by this surgeon – Dr. TyAsha Plummer – that he recommended WPP find funding to hire her, which WPP has.
•  Dr. Lanning continues to play an integral role in advising Dr. Plummer as she independently operates on cases, making her the one of only a few pediatric general surgeons in the region and the only in the country of St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
• Lanning is currently a WPP Board member and serves on the program subcommittee of the Board.