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Woman dubbed ’The Monster’ has watermelon-sized tumour

Woman dubbed ’The Monster’ has watermelon-sized tumour

Woman dubbed ’The Monster’ has watermelon-sized tumour


Mangalore Today News Network

Mar 18, 2017: A woman who has carried a watermelon-sized tumour on her back for almost four decades has revealed how terrified neighbours call her "The Monster".

The woman known only as Mariette, in hers 60s, noticed the non-cancerous tumour when it started growing in her 20s.

 

watermelon-gro...


At its biggest, the growth spanned 20 inches and weighed 10lb, prompting onlookers to shun her and keep their children away.

The growth at this point was heavier than newborn babies and even developed its own blood supply, causing it to pulsate dramatically.

Sadly, Mariette’s poverty-stricken family – who survived on barely enough to get by – had no access to surgery or money to pay for its removal.

Left to deal with the pain caused by carrying the non-malignant tumour, Mariette endured cruel taunts from strangers, calling her a monster.

 

watermelon-gro...


Some even suggested that she had been cursed by the lump, understood to be a giant lipoma – a soft, fatty lump that grows under the skin - saying it was the result of black magic.

Mariette, who finally had surgery to remove the tumour in October 2014, thanks to a special team of medical volunteers, said: “Some people said it was a spell.”

The most devastating consequence of her enormous growth or tumour, however, was parents keeping their children away from her.

“Neighbours told their children, ‘The monster was going to get them,’” she recalled, sadly.

“That was the most difficult part. They told their kids to be afraid of me and, ‘Not to get too close to that old lady’.”

Despite her difficulties, Mariette fell in love and married, going on to have six children and six grandchildren.

But she was still keen to have the tumour that had blighted so many aspects of her life removed.

And she was delighted in October 2014 when a friend told her that volunteer surgeons were visiting her hometown in Madagascar, and encouraged her to go for a screening,to see if they could help her.

After examining her, the doctors were able to remove the tumour for free – literally taking a weight from her shoulders.

In October, 2014, Mariette had a two-hour operation on-board a Mercy Ship – a special charity run hospital ship, which stops at ports around Africa, treating patients who would otherwise be without access to medical care.

The charity is funded by individuals, Rotary clubs, trusts, schools, churches and companies.

Before going under the knife, Mariette was warned that surgery carried a risk of injury to the nerves and blood vessels in the surrounding skin and muscles.

She was also told it was possible the growth had been feeding off the skin’s blood supply, meaning its removal could result in the skin dying.

After a CT scan, to assess what the tumour was attached to, surgeons cut her skin, making sure enough remained to successfully stitch up the wound.

Then they cut away the mass, which was attached to skin and muscle and was being fed through extremely large blood vessels it had developed.

This meant surgeons had to take extreme care when cutting these, or Mariette would have bled to death.

After closing the wound, drains were used to allow excess fluids to flow away.

With her tumour gone, Mariette’s life has been transformed.

She said: “I’m so happy. The lump was disturbing my life, but we didn’t have the money for surgery.

“I just wanted to be free.

“I was waiting for it to be gone for a long time.

“I’m grateful to the surgeons. Without them, I would never have been able to remove that burden.

“This is my liberation.”

Stressing the desperate need for volunteer surgeons, to treat patients like Mariette, he continued: “Surgery is just not an option for these people, financially, or they don’t have access to care.

“This may be their only hope. If we can’t do it here, they’re going to keep it.”

(MUST) Mercy Ships, founded in 1978, operates the world’s largest floating hospital, which delivers free, world-class health care to developing countries, where people cannot access medical attention.


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