Girl born with parasitic twin needs P49K for operation

Ayalisse Cahira Cuales before and after

Ayalisse Cahira Cuales from Davao City was born with two brains, four arms and four legs. Hers is only the second case of a parasitic twin to be reported in the Philippines.

“The other Filipino, the 97th case in the world, died several years ago. My daughter is the 107th case in the whole world,” Ayalisse’s father, Felson Cuales, told the Inquirer.

Felson, a durian vendor, said Ayalisse, who is now four years old, has so far undergone three operations. The first one on Dec. 11, 2012, four days after her birth, was to install a shunt at the back of her spinal cord to remove the fluid produced by her brain. In 2015, there were two operations to remove her extra rudimentary cord followed by her extra arms and legs.

Philippine General Hospital doctors then recommended that she rest for at least six months to regain her strength before a fourth operation.

It has been more than two years but Felson and his wife have yet to raise the P49,000 fee for the operation to remove the tethered cord on Ayalisse’s spinal column.

A tethered spinal cord means the spinal cord is connected to tissue around the spine, preventing it from moving freely. Left alone, it can cause nerve damage and complications.

Felson Cuales can be reached at 09363348839. Donations can be deposited in his Landbank account (# 3676 0084 02).