Blank Children's Hospital
Malachi
When you look into the eyes of Malachi, they tell two important stories: the story of a survivor and the story of a happy little boy. The story of the survivor begins not long after Malachi's first birthday.
In the summer of 2006 Malachi's parents, Andrew and Laura, noticed that his right eye was starting to droop. While Malachi did not show any signs of being sick, they decided to take him to the doctor to have it checked out. Malachi was diagnosed with Ptosis, a condition that causes the eye-lid to droop and can restrict eyesight. Ptosis by itself is not uncommon and over the next several months it seemed to fade.
By December Andrew and Laura noticed something different about Malachi's right eye, it was not dilating properly. When they saw the doctor in January 2007, Malachi was diagnosed with Miosis, which is a medical condition that limits the amount the pupil can dilate. The combination of Ptosis and Miosis was an indicator of a potentially larger medical problem.
Malachi was diagnosed with congenital Horner syndrome, a rare condition that includes drooping eyelids, constricted pupils, sinking of the eyeball into the face and the partial inability to sweat. A myriad of tests and scans in February revealed a tennis ball sized tumor attached to the upper part of Malachi's right lung. The tumor was the root of the problem, and it needed to be removed.
When Andrew and Laura heard the news, they went numb. Their minds ran wild: "What if the tumor was cancerous? What if the tumor caused damage to his lung? And, unavoidably, what if he didn't make it through the surgery?"
Answers to these questions would have to wait until they met with their surgeon, Dr. Oneybuchi Ukabiala, or "Dr. Buchi" as they would come to know him.
With Malachi's health and well being in question, Andrew and Laura were reserved about whether Blank Children's Hospital was the right place for Malachi. When they told friends and family that Malachi would have surgery at Blank Children's Hospital and that Dr. Buchi would perform the surgery, the response was overwhelmingly positive. Malachi was going to the right place.
It was not until Dr. Buchi introduced himself to Andrew and Laura that they felt the relief that Malachi was in good hands. "He was so warm and confident. He had great bedside manners and really cared about Malachi and us." His confidence and genuine compassion would carry them through the entire surgery.
During the pre-surgery consultation in March 2007, Dr. Buchi explained to Andrew and Laura that he would be using the da Vinci® Surgical System "robot", or minimally invasive surgery, to remove Malachi's tumor. Andrew and Laura were a little skeptical. They really liked Dr. Buchi but were not sure they really understood what it meant to use a "robot" during the surgery. Dr. Buchi explained to them that "the robot" was actually a form of minimally invasive surgery and that using the "robot" would mean smaller incisions and a faster recovery time for Malachi. If Dr. Buchi thought the robot was the best tool, then that was fine with them.
While no aspect of the surgery was easy for Malachi, the most challenging was the preparation for the surgery. He had to undergo several additional tests, which involved many IVs, needles, and medication. Fortunately, a Child Life specialist was there to help. While the doctors and nurses were inserting the IV, Malachi and the Child Life specialist blew bubbles and sang songs. These activities helped to keep Malachi calm and less afraid of all of the strange activity surrounding him.
The surgery went relatively quickly. After about four hours Dr. Buchi gave Andrew and Laura the best news they could hear: the surgery was a success. There were no complications while removing the tumor, and because Dr. Buchi had used minimally invasive surgery, it would not be long and Malachi would be up and running around. While the surgery was successful, there was still one looming question, "was the tumor really benign?" Again, good news came their way: the tests proved the tumor was benign.
If Dr. Buchi had used standard operating techniques, he would have needed an incision 5 to 6 inches long to remove the tumor, which would have required 6 to 8 days of hospitalization. With minimally invasive surgery, Dr. Buchi only had to make four, ½ inch incisions and Malachi was home after only 4 days, which had a substantial impact on his recovery. Within two weeks he was back to being a little boy, playing with his toys and chasing his big sister Talia.
While Malachi will always have Horner Syndrome, thanks to Dr. Buchi and the care he received at Blank Children's Hospital, he'll barely have the scars to prove it! Today, when you look into Malachi's eyes you can still see a hint of the survivor, but most of all you can see the happiness and laughter of a little boy.