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www.episcopalchurch.org EPISCOPAL NEWS SERVICE Miracles happen for those who will see: An expensive drug, a rare disorder, and a doctor who prays
Episcopal News Service
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By: Nan Cobbey
Posted: Tuesday, May 21, 2002
Corrected: (view corrections)
It was a long shot, that plea for a neurologist.
The trip from the U.S. to Warri, Nigeria, is arduous and far from cheap. There would be no payment for the expertise or the time spent, and it would require two weeks. The office of Anglican and Global Relations wasn't even offering to foot the entire bill for the airfare, only $1,000. Its director, the Rev. Patrick Mauney, needed either a well-heeled or well-funded volunteer if he wanted to fulfill a promise made during the presiding bishop's visit in January.
The Rev. Hope Imoroa in the Diocese of Warri suffers from Meige's syndrome, a rare disorder that causes spasm of the eyelid and facial nerves so that the eyes are constantly shut tight. Imoroa is functionally blind. There is a treatment and it involves a risky, delicate operation and one of the most expensive drugs in the world: Botox (botulinum toxin), the drug so loved by wealthy Hollywood stay-youngs. Risk of paralysis The procedure requires specialized expertise because, unlike the injections given by neurologists and dermatologists to combat wrinkles, the area of the eyelid is more fragile. The lids need to be paralyzed, but only partially, by injecting the drug into different areas. There is risk of piercing the eyeball and if the drug is placed even a few millimeters away from the target, the lid could be paralyzed shut. No more than a few dozen neurologists or ophthalmologists in the United States have extensive experience with the procedure. Most see no more than one patient with Meige's syndrome in their lifetimes. Not one doctor in Nigeria has experience with the procedure. | |
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