Baby Jaesha makes full recovery from surgery
When we first met Jaesha Daly, the toddler was badly in need of a life-saving surgery. American Airlines came through with the plane tickets, doctors in Birmingham, Alabama provided the medical care, and viewers just like you donated money for miscellaneous expenses. Tonight, we are happy to report that little Jaesha is back in Belize, healthy and still full of smiles. Jacqueline Woods reports from the P.G.I.A.
Jacqueline Woods, Reporting
As the American Airlines flight came to a full stop on the tarmac, no one was more nervous than Caroline Jones. Onboard was Jones’ fifteen month old daughter, Jaesha Daly. The baby spent the last two months in Birmingham, Alabama undergoing a life saving surgery.
Caroline Jones, Mother
“I can’t hardly explain it, it’s an overwhelming feeling. I’ve been waiting for this moment two months and it feels like two years I’ve been waiting. I can’t begin to explain how happy I am to see them come in.”
It was an emotional time for the family. Alex Burgess Neal, who travelled to the States with her granddaughter, says she’s ecstatic that the operation was a success and that now mother and child are back together again.
Alex Burgess Neal, Grandmother
“They operated on her and they removed the colostomy and then they fix her muscles, set up back everything inside her, her intestines, they set everything in place.”
Jacqueline Woods
“How long did the operation last?”
Alex Burgess Neal
“Six hours.”
Jacqueline Woods
“It must have been six nerve racking hours for you.”
Alex Burgess Neal
“It wasn’t easy at all.”
Jacqueline Woods
“How is her behaviour now, since all of the bandages have been removed?”
Alex Burgess Neal
“She is pretty good now, she’s doing well, because instead of one surgery, she had two. After about two weeks, they realised that something else is wrong. When they took an x-ray they realised that one of her intestines, the small intestine was twist. So they give her a week treatment and then we decided that she had to take another surgery.”
Jacqueline Woods
“What’s her prognosis now?”
Alex Burgess Neal
“Now she’s fine, she doing good. I don’t know how to say it, but she’s pretty good, thank God.”
Jones credits the prayers and thoughts of so many people, with saving her daughter’s life.
Caroline Jones
“I would like to say thanks to all the people that contributed. Those who didn’t have to contribute, thanks to those who had the baby in their prayers, because people did call me and say that they don’t have much to give to us, but they will always be praying for Jaesha. We’d like to say special thanks to Dr. Mena and all his friends in Birmingham, Alabama. They treated my mom and the baby so well. I’d like to say special thanks to Mr. Jerry McDermott there in San Pedro, he helped us a lot. And I could not forget Mr. Jeff Clarke in San Ignacio, he’s the one who started this all for us, he’s the one who found the doctor for us to get the baby outside. I just want to say thanks to everybody.”
Jacqueline Woods for News 5.
Jaesha Daly was born with a condition called gastrochisis, meaning most of her stomach and intestines were exposed at birth. Doctors in Belize operated within hours of her birth to save the child, but the walls of her stomach needed to be totally reconstructed.
