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TUMOUR TRAGEDY

Schoolboy, 14, dies days after surgery to remove a giant football-sized 10lb tumour from his face

The 10lb tumour was successfully amputated from the face of 14-year-old Cuban Emanuel Zayas but he died a few days later

A TEENAGER died just hours after a basketball-sized tumour was removed from his face.

The 10lb tumour was successfully amputated from 14-year-old Emanuel Zayas' face but a few days later he suffered kidney and lung complications.

Emanuel Zayas died after surgery to remove a 10lb tumour from his face
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Emanuel Zayas died after surgery to remove a 10lb tumour from his face
The growth on 14-year-old Emanuel's face started as a pimple on his chin two years ago
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The growth on 14-year-old Emanuel's face started as a pimple on his chin two years ago

The Cuban teenager died Friday night, his doctors and relatives announced.

The mammoth tumour began as a pimple on the boy's nose when he hit puberty, but grew so big that he struggled to eat and breathe.

reported that the teen's parents have spent the past two years unsuccessfully searching for help in their native Cuba.

In November the family travelled on a medical visa to Miami for potentially life-saving treatment.

Teenager living with giant deadly tumour engulfing his face for six years is disowned by his mum
The tumour was benign, but could have killed the teen from its sheer size - by fracturing his neck
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The tumour was benign, but could have killed the teen from its sheer size - by fracturing his neck

Dr Robert Marx, head of maxilofacial surgery at the University of Miami Health System told the that the Zayas family donated the boy’s remains to science, so experts can learn more more about Polyostotic fibrous dysplasia.

He said: “After visiting Emanuel last night and observing a ray of hope from his pupillary reflexes and the muscle tone of his face, I was informed this morning that his condition had turned grave.

“I am saddened by the fact that we are losing him and that the physiological stress of the surgery was apparently too much for his compromised anatomy.

"Our hopes of saving his life, and with that allowing him a better quality of life, were not realised."

Emanuel's parents travelled with him from their native Cuba on a medical visa for the surgery
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Emanuel's parents travelled with him from their native Cuba on a medical visa for the surgery
Dr Marx, chief of oral and maxillofacial surgery for the University of Miami Health System, said the lad was born with polyostotic fibrous dysplasia
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Dr Marx, chief of oral and maxillofacial surgery for the University of Miami Health System, said the lad was born with polyostotic fibrous dysplasia
The surgery to remove the tumour required four surgeons
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The surgery to remove the tumour required four surgeons

His parents, Noel Zayas and Melvis Vizaino, are pastors of an evangelical church in Santa Clara.

At a press conference shortly before the surgery Dr Marx said: "It's benign, meaning it's not a cancer. It's not going to travel to other parts of his body, but it's life-threatening by its very weight.

"His lower jaw is normal. He gets food through his mouth the best he can and squashes it down."

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