Boy From Antigua Battles Tumor At Twin Cities Hospital
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A little boy has a chance at life after the quick action of a medical team at the University of Minnesota Amplatz Children's Hospital.
Ezekiel Burrowes, a 16-month-old boy, has spent most of his life in hospitals. He was born three months premature. When he was six months old, a tumor started growing in his mouth.
Ezekiel is from Antigua, an island in the West Indies about 3,000 miles from Minnesota.
In just two months, that tumor grew to the size of a tennis ball. His mother, Stoyann had to feed her son through the corner of his mouth.
"He couldn't turn, roll over or anything," Stoyann Burrowes said.
Back home in Antigua, Stoyann would wait sometimes for 12 hours to see a doctor until finally they told her to see a dentist. That's when an adopted grandmother in Minneapolis made a desperate call to the University of Minnesota Amplatz Children's Hospital.
Dr. David Hamlar, a cranial facial surgeon at the University of Minnesota, worked with the Embassy. He said he knew they would have to act fast. Dr. Hamlar said this kind of tumor is very rare.
"There is only 200 in the literature reported," he said.
Doctors took out Ezekiel's tumor in January.
Every day since has been full of firsts. Ezekiel just started to walk last week and he's able to talk some also. Dr. Hamlar said he expects Ezekiel to make a full recovery.
"He's going to be a normal kid," he said.
"He's doing everything, learning to eat, learning to walk and to talk. It's been amazing," Stoyann said.
Ezekiel won't be able to head home to Antigua for another year. More surgeries are ahead for the young boy who has already been through so much.
