Doctors, advocates and the family of a baby from Colombia are calling for help in raising money for a surgery to help save the young girl's life.
Ten-month-old Maria Jose Valderrama was born with a severe birth defect known as cloacal exstrophy.
Much of the baby's abdominal organs are exposed, creating a risk of infection. Her genitalia are also not formed.
"Everything is there, but nothing is in the proper place and nothing is in the proper casing," said Dr. Rafael Gosalbez, a pediatric urologist at Jackson Memorial Hospital. "And, to recreate all these structures back to normal, is truly one of the greatest challenges that we face."
The International Kids Fund Wonderfund, a Jackson Memorial Foundation program, is starting a campaign to help raise $85,000 for surgery. The baby and her family do not have medical insurance and she is not a U.S. resident.
The Wonderfund provides medical care to children with life-threatening illnesses who cannot be treated in their home countries.
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