Dr. McCartney has been helping children with scoliosis for the past decade.

Optim Surgery center gives pro bono operations, physical therapy to Guatemalan siblings

For the past decade a Savannah surgeon has been traveling to Guatemala to help children with severe cases of scoliosis, a condition that causes curvature in the spine.

Just last year he operated on 15-year-old, Carlos Polanco, who has a genetic form of the condition. This year it was his sister's turn.

 At 11 years old Mia Polanco has never been to the United States or had major surgery but, her mother Jackie, has been here before. A year ago she was holding her son's hand as he recovered from the same surgery for the same condition.

"Finding out that it wasn't just Carlos that had scoliosis, I now had to make sure that Mia did not get as bad as he did, a lot of time passed, a lot of years where Carlos's back was just deforming and at the time i couldn't find a doctor that specialized in the condition that he had," said Jackie Mendoza, Mia's mom.

And then she found Dr. Donald McCartney. "Our surgery center is required to do a certain amount of indigent care or charity cases and we were behind our percentages at that point so it sort of rang a bell in my head you know i might be able to get this done at our surgery center and that's how that all came together," said Dr. McCarthy.

Mia, like her brother, has idiopathic scoliosis which, put simply, means the condition is genetic. Before surgery Mia's spine was curved and now with the help of an orthopedic implant, it's straight.

Until she returns home at the beginning of December mia will continue outpatient therapy here in savannah. "I would like to do a lot of things but I can't do anything yet because of my back for a month? actually it will be a year before I can swim and do what I want," said Mia.

Watching the recovery process is always hard but for Mia's mom says it's gotten better. "With Mia it has been easier, she's been so strong and i'm amazed because I thought she would cry a lot but she's such a strong strong girl and in reality I look up to her she has taught me so many things," said Jackie.

Mia says she get her strength from her mom."She helps me and tells me to relax and always looks for the good in everything. "I am so grateful for her. thank you mom--- I love you----, and if you ask her how she feels now, she said, "happy."

She will continue physical therapy until she returns home at the beginning of December. In the meantime she'll have several progress checks with Dr. McCartney.

For Video Link : https://www.wsav.com/news/local-news/optim-surgery-center-gives-pro-bono-operations-physical-therapy-to-guatemalan-siblings/1611761891

Source : WSAV3 , 21 Nov 2018