Help Baby Angel

Angel's 3rd and Final Surgery

2007-02-12T11:58:00.000-06:00

Wow, time flies! I apologize for not being more up to date! Angel's third surgery was completed and now she has 10 fingers and 10 toes! She's still in casts as of now, but those will be removed shortly and then she will be returning home to the Philippines as soon as the doctors say she is healing well and that it is ok to return. Her family in the Philippines misses her very much and they can't wait to see her again. Here are the latest pictures of Angel...look at her beautiful new forehead!

Thank yous from Pol and Eva

2006-12-11T21:31:00.000-06:00

Pol wanted to give some special thanks to the following people who have supported and helped his family:
- Raquel Guterte & her husband
- The Filipina nurses at Medical City Hospital
- The Tejano Family
- Praise Christian Fellowship
- Abbott employees in Santa Clara, California

Here are some pictures of some of the people listed above, and also of some other families and kids with craniofacial syndromes like Angel.

Angel is out of ICU

2006-12-10T00:07:00.000-06:00

(Picture 1: Pol and Eva with Dr. Fearon at the Holiday Party. Picture 2: Pol and Eva by Angel's bedside. Picture 3: Eva comforting Angel. Picture 4: Angel drinking apple juice - look at her new fingers! They are healing well and look great!)

Today Angel was moved from ICU to the children's recovery floor. She has a swollen head which is totally normal for this surgery. Dr. Fearon says that things went very, very well! Angel's head will swell even more tomorrow, but then it will start to go down. It will be a week or two before the swelling shrinks significantly, and then another 4 weeks or so until all the swelling is gone. Angel was drinking apple juice and moaning and crying...all normal and all good signs that she's going to be just fine!

Today was also the day for the Children's Craniofacial Association Holiday Party. There were toys for kids given out by Santa, a Disney radio station playing music and games, lots of snacks and punch, and lots of crazy kids running all over the hospital lobby having a wonderful time with their friends. Eva and Pol were able to come down to see the party and meet some other Apert families while the nurses took care of Angel in ICU.

Angel's second surgery is successful

2006-12-08T18:31:00.000-06:00

Pol wrote today to say that Angel's second surgery (the cranial vault remodeling) went very very well. Eva has been in the US for a few days and they are both at Angel's side tonight. Angel will have a period of swelling - a few days with severe head swelling, about a week of medium swelling, followed by a month or more of minor swelling. I go to Dallas tomorrow to see them, and hopefully Angel if she is out of the ICU and up on the children's recovery floor tomorrow afternoon. Thanks to all for contributions and prayers. This has all been a miracle for this family. I will post pictures as soon as I have them.

Video of Angel Laughing

2006-12-01T10:13:00.000-06:00

Angel doesn't really get into the really cute giggles until about 1:45 in the video but she's got an infectious giggle! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ToxUxhbUo58

Angel on video...

2006-11-27T10:11:00.000-06:00

Here's a short 30 seconds of Angel crawling...she looks like she's trying hard to learn! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gy_L9cgwgs8

Angel & Pol meet Dustin & DeeAnn

2006-11-24T15:33:00.000-06:00

While at the Craniofacial Center in Dallas, Pol and Angel met Dustin Villarreal and his mom DeeAnn from Kansas. They were in Dallas to see Dr. Fearon and recognized Angel!

Angel's new fingers and toes revealed!

2006-11-23T13:54:00.000-06:00

Angel got her casts off and Pol sent many pictures of her new fingers and toes. I'm posting one here of Angel laughing wearing her new bandages. She will be bandaged for many weeks to make sure the hands heal very well. There are many more "surgical" looking pictures which I didn't post, but you are welcome to see upon request. Send email to mjenna-at-gmail-dot-com. (To Apert families, the "surgical" pictures don't seem so extreme because we've seen it all...to others who have not seen these or who are not in the medical profession might find them sort of..."surgical". :)

Angel is doing well and Eva is coming soon!

2006-11-18T15:41:00.000-06:00

Pol has limited access to the internet now, so news is spotty, however, he sent some pictures of Angel in her casts and she seems to be doing really well! She's got big smiles. She gets her casts off next week and then will be in bandages for a while. Pol located another family in Dallas who were neighbors to his family in the Philippines 10 years ago! Pol and Angel have been spending a few days a week with them too. He says that it's been fun to see them again and he has really enjoyed the company and friendship of all the people he's met and spent time with.

Eva's ticket has been purchased thanks to so many kind donations! Her coming to Dallas for Christmas will be a wonderful gift for this family. She arrives December 2nd and Angel's next surgery is December 8th.

On December 9th, the Children's Craniofacial Association (based in Dallas) will be hosting a Holiday Party at Medical City Hospital. Children from all over come to eat cookies, make Christmas crafts and sit on Santa's lap. It's a wonderful party. Many of the Apert Syndrome families from out of state plan their annual check up appointments during the week of the party so that they can be in Dallas to see all their friends and let the kids play together. This year will be especially nice because all the families and kids will get to meet the Toribio family.

How Angel is doing...

2006-11-09T09:21:00.000-06:00

Unfortunately, the internet connection at the host family's house has been out so I have only been getting very sporadic news and no pictures of Angel! Fortunately, Eva says that she understands that Angel is doing very well and smiling again, so she must be healing well. I'm sure it was a hard couple of days after the surgery, but the kids bounce back so quickly and it sounds as if Angel has too!

Angel is in recovery and doing well...

2006-11-02T21:35:00.000-06:00

(Picture 1: Angel sleeping off the anesthetic!; Picture 2: Elizabeth drinking HER apple juice while sitting next to a sleeping Angel.)
Elizabeth and I went to Angel's room after she got out of post-op so that Pol could have a break. We watched Angel while Pol went to email his family and get something to eat. The respiratory therapist came and gave Angel a breathing treatment. This will help her to get rid of some of the congestion she has been experiencing. Elizabeth also watched Angel sleep until she realized that Angel had an apple juice on her bed! Elizabeth tried to reach in the crib to get it, until I showed her that she had her OWN apple juice. When Pol returned to the room, it was time for Elizabeth and me to get on the road back to Austin. Just as we were leaving, Pol got a phone call to the room from his family in the Philippines.

Angel is out of surgery!

2006-11-02T13:07:00.000-06:00

...and doing great! Pol is with her right now in post-op while she wakes up from anesthesia, so I have time to tell everyone that Dr. Fearon and Dr. Peters said everything went very very well. Pol picked blue casts! I will post pictures soon.

A long day at the hospital

2006-11-01T19:43:00.000-06:00

Angel had a big day today...lots of appointments, a CT scan, xrays, pictures...and tons of paperwork for daddy Pol to fill out. She weathered it all well. She has been cleared for surgery tomorrow and we are all very excited and emotionally overwhelmed that this is all actually happening. Pastor Jofre Perez from the Foursquare Church in Dallas joined us today to help translate when needed. Thanks Pastor Joff! Pol got the best news from Dr. Sacco, a neurosurgeon, regarding Angel's Apert Syndrome. She has a milder case of Apert and at this time doesn't have any of some of the more serious brain problems (enlarged ventricles or Chiari Malformation). Also, we had a nice surprise at the end of the day when Dr. Fearon told us to stop in at Dr. Peters' office. He is an ENT and will be putting tubes in Angel's ears tomorrow before Dr. Fearon starts! This is great news and the tubes should help Angel clear up some congestion that she's been having, and also help avoid ear infections. Ear tubes are common in Apert kids when they are very young. It helps to preserve their hearing, so this is really great news that Dr. Peters has decided to help her along with all the other doctors. Angel is on her way! We're all so thrilled. Tomorrow, Pol and Pastor Joff will be at the hospital at 6am. Angel's first surgery to separate her fingers and toes (she'll have two finger/toe surgeries total) will start at 7:30am. It will be a long couple of days for Pol and Angel (but she'll probably sleep through lots of it!). I'll check in with Pol and Angel as surgery is finishing up and be leaving to go back to Austin tomorrow afternoon when they are settled in their recovery room. Pictures to follow later.

Currently collecting...

2006-11-01T08:19:00.000-06:00

HelpBabyAngel is working to bring Angel's mom with her when she comes for her surgeries, and

looking for toys,
warm clothing, and
baby supplies/gift cards (Target/Walmart/Randalls)

to help with Angel's needs while she is here.

We have collected a ton of stuff, thank you to all who have contributed.

Donations to help bring Angel's mom, Eva, to the US can be made on a tax-deductible basis to Apert International's fund for Angel.

Angel has a little bit of a fever...

2006-10-31T17:14:00.000-06:00

...so say a little prayer that she feels better! She's resting today and the doctor said that a low fever shouldn't stop her from getting her surgery on time. Here's a picture of Angel in her room at the Bardeloza's home!

Angel's first full day in Dallas

2006-10-30T19:33:00.000-06:00

(Picture 1: Pol, Angel, & Tracy; Picture 2: Pol and Angel in the lobby of the Medical City Hospital)
Angel and Pol are still adjusting to the time change. I picked them up at 12:45 and we went to lunch at the famous Dickey's Barbecue (very popular with the Apert families who go to Medical City) right across the street from the hospital. Pol had his first real Texas BBQ meal of beef brisket! I think he liked it. Angel didn't want to sit in the high chair. She wanted to sit on Daddy's lap! After lunch we went to the hospital to meet Tracy Romano of Medical City who was instrumental in clearing all of Angel's surgery free of charge. We also met Marna and Sue at World Craniofacial Foundation. They gave a beautiful alphabet and animal quilt to Angel. Angel had some pictures taken and then we took a little tour of the hospital to show Pol where to get something to eat, where Angel's recovery room was going to be, and where the computers are so that he can write his family and friends from the hospital. It was good for them to see the hospital, but we were all very tired at the end of the day. Tomorrow is a day for rest for everyone and then Wednesday is a very long pre-op day with tests and xrays and pictures and measurements and appointments.

We also had WONDERFUL news. Dr. Stager, the Dallas opthalmologist who specializes in kids with craniofacial disorders has agreed to see Angel free of charge. Thank you Dr. Stager!!! More on that later. We will make appointments for Angel to see him and he will determine what surgeries need to be done on her eye muscles so that she has better control of her eyes! We are so happy about this!

More news on Wednesday.

Angel is here!

2006-10-29T21:02:00.000-06:00

(Pictured are: Cissy, Angel, Pol, Lola, & Lolo)
Angel and her daddy Pol are in the US! They arrived in Dallas today. We all went to the host family's house where Pol was treated to a nice Filipino meal of rice, pickled veggies, and fish. Angel was held by her "new" Lola (that's Filipino for grandma!). She met many people from the family including her host parents Eddie and Cissy Bardeloza and Lolo (that's grandpa!). Pol and Angel have a very nice room that was filled with toys and stuffed animals (and diapers!). Tomorrow, we are going to the hospital and the different charity agencies that have helped them get here to say "hello" and "thanks"!

The caravan of donations is heading out...

2006-10-28T13:56:00.000-05:00

We're on our way to Dallas from Austin with all the donated and purchased stuff for Angel! We're bringing 800 baby wipes, 350 diapers, 70 jars of baby food, 8 brand new outfits, 5 toys, 4 teddy bears, 3 bags of groceries, 2 baby books, 2 cans of formula, a box of rice cereal, apple juice, pedialyte, tylenol for kids, bandages, a carseat, a crib, a mobile, a swing! Can't wait to see you Angel!

Pol and Angel are on their way!

2006-10-28T00:51:00.000-05:00

Here's Pol's last email to me from the Philippines:
"this will be my last email here the next one will be at LA. we are preparing here. we are very busy. 30 minutes from now we will go to the airport. thank you thank you thank you."

More thanks for Angel's angels in the Philippines

2006-10-27T17:34:00.000-05:00

Pol and Eva would like to thank the following donors and friends in the Philippines who have helped them with their trip to Dallas for Angel:

Baby Joy Wong
Tisha Bautista
Jaime & Sofia Inocentes
Weng Cordero
Marion Coscoluella
Lea Chien
Albert & Gretchen del Rosario
Meg Isleta
Cindy Segura
Josette Alcordo

There are also numerous donors who wish to remain anonymous. Thanks to all!!

Angel's first surgery is scheduled

2006-10-25T22:19:00.000-05:00

Angel will be going to many appointments with a variety of doctors on Wednesday, November 1 in preparation for her first surgery Thursday, November 2. She will be having the first of two surgeries to separate her fingers and toes. After her surgery, she will be in casts for three weeks to help give the new fingers and toes time to heal.
Here is more information and pre-surgery pictures about Apert-related syndactylies:
http://www.thecraniofacialcenter.com/apert_hands_feet.html
Here is an explanation of the operation and treatment for syndactyly and post-surgery pictures:
http://www.thecraniofacialcenter.com/apert_treat_hands_feet.html

More thank yous for AMERICAN AIRLINES & MARRIOTT

2006-10-24T19:04:00.000-05:00

Marie Ising of AMERICAN AIRLINES MILES FOR KIDS program has authorized free airfare for Pol and Angel to fly from Los Angeles to Dallas and back! This releases funds to use for other needs. Despite our short notice, Ms. Ising has assured us that she can expedite this ticket. Pol and Angel will be arriving Saturday night 10/28 in Los Angeles. There are no flights to Dallas until the next morning, so Pol and Angel will be spending the night in LA. Fortunately for us, there are also Angel's angels at MARRIOTT. The RESIDENCE INN EL SEGUNDO LAX has give Pol and Angel a free room for their night's stay in Los Angeles. Thank you to Marna and Sue at World Craniofacial Foundation for soliciting their Marriott contact for some help.

Charity designated for collection of funds for Eva's plane ticket

2006-10-21T00:07:00.000-05:00

Angel's mom, Eva, will be staying behind in the Philippines until December. We are still vigorously soliciting funds to purchase a plane ticket so that she will be with her family at Christmas.

The following charity will be collecting funds for Eva's ticket. All funds will be tax deductible donations. Please have any funds sent to:

Apert International, Inc
PO Box 2571
Columbia, SC 29202
www.apert-international.org

The website will allow donations via PayPal and credit card, however, the website does not allow for a designation for a specific beneficiary. For donors sending checks, please write "Angel Toribio" in the memo line. For donors paying by PayPal or credit card on the website, please follow up the payment with an email to: info@apert-international.org The email should state the donor's name, the amount of the donation made via the website and a notation to Don Sears (the President of the charity) that the donation should be earmarked for Angel Toribio.

UPDATE: Thank you to Philippine Air

2006-10-19T10:38:00.000-05:00

We previously reported that a ticket had been purchased for Pol and Angel. We were able to return that ticket as Philippine Air donated two seats for Pol and Angel! This is a wonderful donation as it has saved money that can now be spent elsewhere for other needs. Pol and Angel will be arriving Oct 28th in Dallas.

A special thank you to Amy Galm at CAPPS Kids

2006-10-17T21:31:00.000-05:00

Since April 2006, Amy Galm at CAPPS Kids (www.cappskids.org) has been working feverishly for Angeleah. She has been the brains and brawn behind the scenes in contacting doctors across the country for free care, coordinating various government and hospital paperwork, and most recently involving WCF (World Craniofacial Foundation) in soliciting them to fund a plane ticket for Angel and Pol. Amy wants to thank Nancy Robertson of Grace Children's Foundation for her guidance, Tracy Romano at Medical City Children's Hospital in Dallas, and Dr. Fearon for supporting Amy in her quest to get Angeleah to the US for her Apert surgeries. She also is overwhelmed and thrilled with the financial response from YOU, the public! Thanks to everyone who has done something - big or small - to help little Angel. Every single person who has assisted has made a huge difference in this child's life.

VISAS!!!

2006-10-17T00:45:00.000-05:00

The Toribios received their VISAS today! So the trip is on, they will be here in just a couple of weeks!

More Angel pics!

2006-10-13T14:59:00.000-05:00

Angel is now rolling over and is doing great. She likes to laugh and loves to be tickled!
Here is a family picture with her parents and new sister, and another picture with her uncle!

Angel's First Birthday Party, and more pics

2006-10-13T14:54:00.000-05:00

Here are pictures from Angel's first birthday party, a joint party also celebrating her new baby sister Ashley's baptism. Then, a picture of the girls sleeping after the party!

World Craniofacial Foundation

2006-10-13T14:09:00.000-05:00

Another sponsor of Angel's surgery is the World Craniofacial Foundation. I know we all have read about several conjoined twins who have come to the US for surgery in recent years. It seems like all children who needs craniofacial surgeries these days get the help they need automatically because these foundations and generous surgeons and hospitals donate care.

However, in actuality, it takes a LOT of work by a number of different charities and foundations, for these children to get to come to the US to have the surgeries they need. The World Craniofacial Foundation works very hard to help the children who come to them for help.

From their website, this is their mission:

The World Craniofacial Foundation is dedicated to helping children and familes who experience deformities of the head and/or face by providing support and access to life-changing procedures. Reconstruct a face; create a new life. Today, we have the knowledge and technology to make these children look and feel normal. It is now possible to acheive excellent outcomes in the treatment of even the most complex craniofacial deformities. For the task ahead, support and participation is needed from all of us in order to transform the lives of those who need help.

The WCF has a fund for Angel as well, if anyone would like to donate through them. http://www.worldcf.org/ They accept gifts by check or credit card - and by credit card you can give via phone or email. All gifts are tax deductible.

Medical City Children's Hospital in Dallas

2006-10-13T13:39:00.000-05:00

We are very lucky to have the Children's Hospital at Medical City Hospital in Dallas donating the space for Angeleah's surgery. They have a fund set up for Angeleah to help with the costs of the medications and other items needed by Angel for her surgeries and recovery, and to help with travel expenses for Angel and her dad, Pol.
http://www.mcchildrenshospital.com/

Here's a link to the Craniofacial Program directly: http://www.mcchildrenshospital.com/CustomPage.asp?guidCustomContentID={3C7FCEDF-DB32-4AC5-BF39-43B77B404698}

You can talk to them about Angel's case specifically, or make a direct donation to Angel's fund, by calling them directly at the Children's Hospital's main number and asking for the charity coordinator. 972-566-8888

Learn About Apert's Syndrome

2006-10-10T13:06:00.000-05:00

Apert's Syndrome also known as Apert's syndactyly is an uncommon genetic disorder characterized possibly by some of the following: cleft pallet, small nose, high forehead, widely spaced eyes, sunken midface, or other craniofacial abnormalities, as well as severe symmetrical syndactyly (cutaneous and bony fusion) of the hands and feet. The genetic mutation happens to Chromosome 10 and children are usually diagnosed at birth by physical observance of abnormalities. It isn't exactly known how frequent Apert's Syndrome is. Some sources put it as high as 1 in 65,000 births, others much lower at 1 in every 200,000 births. Apert's can be inherited from a parent with the same disorder or as a fresh mutation. Usually there is no family history of the genetic disorder. In a child without Apert's, the skull has several "plates" that loosely connect. As the child grows the bones fuse and form the adult skull. in contrast to this, Abert's causes a child's skull to prematurely fuse which restricts and puts pressure on the brain. Commonly, surgery is needed in infancy or toddlerhood to alleviate this pressure and detach the fused bones from one another. Typically other surgeries follow as well. Preadolescence (usually between ages 6-11) allows for a time of correction of the sunken midface through a procedure known as the LeFort III. This surgery may be repeated throughout one's life as needed. The third type of procedure Apert's patients undergo commonly is for correcting the fusion of the hands and/or feet.

Treatment ideally should begin at birth usually at first in the form of support through proper diagnosis by a specialist. Over their lifetime, those afflicted with Apert's will see a wide variety of specialists such as speech therapists, ophthalmologists, and craniofacial surgeons to name a few. Above all the priority should rest on preventing the build up of pressure on the child's brain, while most parents’ secondary concern is a more normal appearance.

Written by Jenny Sigler, posted with her permission

Cafe press has baby angel's shop

2006-10-10T12:56:00.000-05:00

The new cafe press storefront for Baby Angel is up! http://www.cafepress.com/helpbabyangel
The proceeds from any purchase ($1 for each item) within the storefront will go directly to the Baby Angel fund.
Check it out!

Dr. Jeffrey Fearon

2006-10-07T19:50:00.000-05:00

Dr. Jeffrey Fearon, a plastic surgeon and expert in Apert Syndrome, has agreed to perfom Angel's surgeries for free.
You can find his biography and more information about the The Craniofacial Center in Dallas from their website.

Host family found!

2006-10-07T17:00:00.000-05:00

A family in Dallas has generously volunteered to host Angeleah's family while they are here for her surgery. It is wonderful because the hospital where her surgery will be performed - Medical City Hospital - is very far from the Ronald McDonald house.

We are still collecting Walmart gift cards for Pol and Eva to use for personal care items and diapers for Angel, but we have received a good amount of food and no longer need to collect more.

Thanks to everyone for your generosity and support!