5-month old Marianni Run needs your help for life-saving surgery

Marianni Tun

First-time parents Rosita Barredo and Leovani Tun recently received devastating news; their five month old daughter, Marianni has been diagnosed with an extremely rare birth condition called biliary atresia. The disease can lead to liver failure and so far, only one of four babies previously diagnosed in Belize has survived. Marianni was born premature at eight months and weighed only four pounds, but appeared to be in good health. That changed within two months when the newborn became sick and doctors discovered the deadly disease. She now has a matter of weeks to live if she does not receive a liver transplant, which will cost the family around a half a million dollars. Originally from Corozal, Marianni was recently transferred to the K.H.M.H. and while Rosita was with her at the hospital, her sister Margarita Barredo accompanied Tun to our studios. They are pleading with the public for assistance in saving the baby girl’s life.

Margarita Barredo, Aunt of Marianni Tun

Margarita Barredo

“When the baby was born, she was not diagnosed with anything, she was sent home like any normal child you know. But she was born with only four pounds and after two months the baby started having fevers and crying and crying too much. She was brought to Corozal Hospital and then later on she was diagnosed with biliary atresia. It’s a birth defect that she came with when she was born, but she was not diagnosed at that moment.”

Delahnie Bain

“So what has been the effect of this condition?”

Margarita Barredo

“Well, the effects—it’s affecting her a lot right now. She has developed a cirrhosis in the liver, she is very swollen at the moment, her breathing is very, very poor right now. She has oxygen and the doctor says that her time is running out because she has fluid inside and she has developed a hernia. We’re asking the general public for assistance. We have tried so many placed; ministries, everything we could possibly get but we haven’t had no response. The operation for the liver is costing almost half a million dollars, like two hundred and fifty thousand US and it can be done in Cuba, Venezuela and Colombia. And all I know is that the doctor says that five persons have been diagnosed with this in Belize but only one person has survived and it’s a baby boy in San Pedro. So we’re trying to help Marianni and we’re asking anybody, anybody who has a kind heart to just give Marianni a helping hand because she is only five months, only five months.”

Leovani Tun, Father of Marianni Tun (Translated from Spanish)

Leovani Tun

“I feel hopeful that she is going to make it through the situation that she is going thorough right now. I want her to be okay, for everything to be okay.”

Margarita Barredo

“If the public would see her in her condition right now, they would really understand the desperation of the family, the father, my sister who is the mother going in this ordeal for these past months.”

To assist with Marianni’s medical expenses, you can contact Rosita at 653-2365, Leovani at 662-5286 or Margarita at 634-9932. Donations can also be made to Belize Bank account number 635-22-247002.