Girl with rare spine disorder seeks help

GARCIA

TWO-YEAR-OLD Jhaymie Zane Garcia suffers from congenital scoliosis in which the spine curves sideways. It is a rare disease, occurring in just one out of 10,000 newborns.

“When she was just a baby, I would often notice that her buttocks were uneven. I knew that there was something wrong so I had her checked in the hospital,” her mother, Emily Garcia, told the Inquirer.

On the advice of doctors at the Philippine Orthopedic Center in Quezon City, Jhaymie underwent a CT scan which showed that there were two bones in her spine that had stopped growing.

“The ‘dead’ bones have to be removed. They have to be replaced with a growing rod as soon as possible because the spinal area is close to the heart and liver which are vital organs,” said the 26-year-old mother to three children, Jhaymie being the younger. Her husband, Wilfredo, works as a storage man at a warehouse in Navotas City where the family lives.

A growing rod is commonly used in young children to allow for continuous and controlled growth of the spine. However, it costs P600,000 and can be bought only in the United States.

Those who want to help Jhaymie may contact Emily at 0975-8865313. Donations can be coursed through Emily’s BPI account with account name Emily D. Mislang (her maiden name) with account number 4399-1031-48.