Baby Girl’s Forehead Tumor Grew So Large It Pushed Down Her Eyelid — Until a Life-Changing Surgery

When little Avani Hakim was born in Trinidad and Tobago, her family noticed a small abnormal growth on her forehead. Doctors diagnosed it as a hemangioma, a benign vascular tumor, and initially advised her parents that no immediate treatment was necessary.

But as the months passed, the growth became increasingly difficult to ignore. It expanded across her forehead, creating a prominent swelling that pulled down her eyebrow and eyelid.

For her mother, Uyjanti, watching the visible changes in her daughter’s tiny face was heartbreaking.

A Small Birthmark That Would Not Stop Growing

Avani’s hemangioma continued to enlarge throughout infancy. The swelling became so pronounced that strangers began staring and making comments about her appearance.

Her mother desperately searched for medical help, approaching local doctors in the hope that someone could remove the growth.

However, the family struggled to find a specialist willing to perform the operation.

With the tumor continuing to grow, Uyjanti feared what the future might hold for her daughter.

A Mother’s Search Led Her Thousands of Miles Away

Refusing to abandon her search, Uyjanti turned to social media.

Through a Facebook group for mothers, she learned about Dr. Gregory Levitin, a vascular birthmark specialist at New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai.

In late 2015, she emailed the surgeon, explaining her daughter’s condition and attaching photographs of the growing tumor.

After examining the images, Dr. Levitin recognized that Avani’s case was unusually severe and recommended bringing her to New York for treatment.

A Delicate Two-Hour Operation

In June 2016, Avani and her mother traveled from Trinidad and Tobago to New York City.

On June 28, the 18-month-old underwent surgery to remove the hemangioma and reconstruct her forehead during the same procedure.

The operation presented unexpected difficulties.

When the surgeon made the initial incision, the tumor expanded dramatically. It had penetrated deeply into the underlying muscle and contained two large feeding blood vessels.

Removing the growth required exceptional precision to avoid damaging the muscles responsible for Avani’s facial expressions.

After approximately two hours, the surgical team successfully removed the tumor while preserving those important structures.

The Moment Her Mother Had Been Waiting For

Despite the complexity of the operation, blood loss was minimal, and Avani’s surgery was successful.

Standing beside her daughter in the recovery room, Uyjanti finally experienced the relief she had been hoping for throughout their difficult journey.

The large swelling that had dominated Avani’s forehead was gone.

For her mother, the operation represented much more than a change in appearance. It meant her little girl had received the specialized medical care she had spent months desperately trying to find.

A New Beginning for Little Avani

Avani’s story demonstrates how access to specialized treatment can transform the medical journey of a child born with an unusual vascular condition.

Her mother’s persistence, combined with the expertise of her surgical team, made the successful procedure possible.

The hospital’s published before-and-after photographs document the remarkable physical change following her operation.

For Uyjanti, seeing her daughter recover was the beginning of a hopeful new chapter.

Source: Mount Sinai Health System — Trip of a Lifetime: 18-month Old Comes to NYEE to Remove a Giant Hemangioma.