![Shreveport Doctors Remove Huge Facial Tumor From 3-Year-Old](http://townsquare.media/site/36/files/2017/01/Melyssa-Delgado-Braga-foxnews.com_.jpg?w=300&h=200&zc=1&s=0&a=t&q=89&w=980&q=75)
Shreveport Doctors Remove Huge Facial Tumor From 3-Year-Old
The story about a 3-year-old Brazilian girl who had a large, rare tumor removed from her face by doctors in Shreveport is making national headlines.
It all started when Dr. Celso Palmieri at LSU Health Shreveport was reading an online publication from his home country. He says he ran across a Brazilian article about little Melyssa Delgado Braga.
“When I was reading more about her tumor, I realized that our department, and mostly and especially Dr. Ghali of course, could help Melyssa,” Palmieri said.
Palmieri says he found the family on Facebook after only an hour of searching and was able to contact them that way. Dr. G.E. Ghali is the chair of the Department of oral and facial surgery at the hospital. He diagnosed Melyssa with a benign tumor that is locally very aggressive.
“If you look at pictures before surgery, you can see that this tumor has pretty much eaten away her entire jaw,” Ghali said.
They say several organizations, doctors, and the community came together to help the family get here. While Melyssa will still require some follow up surgeries as she gets older, doctors say she now has full use of her tongue unlike before. Ghali says she had been well on her way to becoming a malnourished child because of the tumor.
“It was beginning to affect her breathing, and finally when we were able to remove this tumor, this tumor weighed over five pounds,” Ghali said.
More From News Talk 96.5 KPEL
![Chancellor at LSU Health Shreveport Under Investigation](http://townsquare.media/site/180/files/2020/12/ghali-1.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![LSU Health Physician Speaks About Pfizer Vaccine](http://townsquare.media/site/182/files/2020/11/vanchiere-john-a.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![The First Major COVID Treatment Could Come From Shreveport](http://townsquare.media/site/180/files/2020/05/GettyImages-1226430218.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![LSU Health Shreveport Starts Two Promising COVID Clinical Trials](http://townsquare.media/site/180/files/2020/03/GettyImages-1204035578.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![FBI Sets Record Straight on Trump Being Hit by Bullet During Assassination Attempt](http://townsquare.media/site/36/files/2024/07/attachment-GettyImages-2161923127.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![There Are 4 Big Reasons Why Louisiana’s Auto Insurance Rates Are So High](http://townsquare.media/site/182/files/2022/04/attachment-RS47246_GettyImages-480652712-scr1.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![Forecasters Watching Tropical Disturbance Headed for Gulf of Mexico – Should Louisiana and Texas Be Worried?](http://townsquare.media/site/36/files/2023/09/attachment-Hurricane-Nigel.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![Fallen Lafayette Police Officer Identified, Remembered as Family Man, Friend, and Protector](http://townsquare.media/site/36/files/2024/07/attachment-Untitled-design-2024-07-26T100047.692.jpg?w=980&q=75)
![Condolences Pour in for Fallen Lafayette Police Officer Killed in Jeanerette Standoff](http://townsquare.media/site/36/files/2024/07/attachment-Untitled-design-2024-07-25T202550.435.jpg?w=980&q=75)