Children's Hospital

David's Life Saving Surgery At Children's Hospital

BOSTON (CBS4) ― It's the kind of news that can turn a parents world upside down in an instant, word that your child has a potentially debilitating disease.

For Michelle Marengo of Hudson, that news came three years ago, after her 6-year-old son David, collapsed in a convenience store on the way to a soccer game.

On the advice of her pediatrician, Michelle took David to Children's Hospital Boston. "Within four hours of being here," said Marengo, "they knew exactly what it was."

David was diagnosed with Moyamoya, a rare disease that affects just one in two million. It causes a narrowing of the blood vessels in the brain, starving it of essential nutrients. Left untreated, Moyamoya can lead to weakness and even stroke.

Luckily for David, the doctor who pioneered a surgical treatment for Moyamoya is at Children's Hospital. David was scheduled for surgery.

Doctor Michael Scott took healthy blood vessels from David's scalp and attached them to his brain. "It's just like grafting a new branch onto a tree," explained Dr. Scott. "I'm just the surgeon; nature does the rest."

Nature did its part and David is now in second grade and back on the soccer field. He's also made a new friend through his experience at Children's. He has become very close with 10-year-old Alison Kemp of Baltimore. She too has Moyamoya and had surgery at Children's.

The two visit often and even spent a week in January together in Disney World.
Both families are forever indebted to the staff at Children's. David's mom said she'll be forever grateful. "Everyone that you meet with who touches your life here, makes you feel like everything is going to be ok," she said.

Join Lisa Huges and David for the 4th Annual Miles for Miracles walk to raise money for Children's Hospital Boston on Saturday June 11th.

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