Little Girl Born With a Massive Opening in the Center of Her Face Undergoes Extraordinary Reconstructive Surgery

When little Raquel Cabrera was born, her mother, Hilcy, faced an overwhelming medical reality.

Her daughter had an exceptionally severe congenital facial difference, leaving a large opening through the center of her face.

The condition affected the development of her nose, mouth, eyes and skull, creating a complex medical challenge that few surgeons had encountered.

A Rare Condition Affecting Her Entire Face

Raquel was born with facial bipartition, an extremely unusual form of craniofacial cleft.

Her condition involved a large separation through the middle of her face. She also had an encephalocele, in which brain tissue protruded through an opening in the skull.

Additional abnormalities included a fatty tumor inside her skull and hypertelorism, meaning her eyes were positioned unusually far apart.

She also lacked normally developed structures forming her nose and upper mouth.

A Mother Searching Desperately for Help

Hilcy struggled to find doctors who could perform the complicated reconstruction her daughter needed.

Several physicians who encountered Raquel during international medical missions recognized that her condition required highly specialized expertise.

Eventually, a medical connection through a Shriners clinic in Guatemala City led the family to craniofacial surgeon Dr. Chris Gordon.

Dayton Children’s Hospital and Shriners Hospital for Children in Cincinnati collaborated to arrange Raquel’s treatment in the United States.

An Extraordinary Surgical Challenge

Dr. Gordon worked alongside neurosurgeon Dr. Robert Lober and a multidisciplinary medical team to develop a surgical plan.

Using detailed three-dimensional models, the specialists prepared for a procedure involving both the skull and facial structures.

The operation required them to reposition and protect the brain, address the encephalocele and remove duplicated anatomical structures.

Surgeons discovered that Raquel had four nasal septums rather than the usual single septum.

They carefully reconstructed her nose and upper mouth while repositioning facial structures and preserving her ability to breathe.

The Moment Her Mother Had Been Waiting For

Following the operation, Raquel’s appearance changed significantly.

For Hilcy, seeing her daughter after surgery was an emotional milestone following years of searching for treatment.

Before the operation, she had often avoided taking Raquel into public places because she feared people would react cruelly to her appearance.

Afterward, she expressed immense gratitude that her daughter could experience everyday life with greater confidence and freedom.

A Little Girl With a Remarkable Personality

Raquel’s surgeons described her as an affectionate, sociable and happy child who had quickly won the hearts of hospital staff.

Her recovery demonstrated what coordinated specialist care could achieve in an exceptionally complicated craniofacial case.

Her story also highlights the challenges families face when rare congenital conditions require treatment unavailable in their home communities.

For her mother, the operation represented far more than reconstructing facial structures. It offered her daughter new opportunities to grow up and experience the world.

Source: Dayton Children’s Hospital, Pediatric Forum, Winter 2019, “Toddler Gets New Face, and New Life.”