Radiation Doctors Aid Boy From Mexico

When it comes down to it, 10-year-old Miguel Mariscal of Autlan, Mexico is one lucky little boy. If Miguel hadn't fallen out of his family's old hammock - an event that sent him into a four-day coma - his future would be in certain peril.

When Miguel fell out of the hammock a year ago this month, the physician who examined him found a malformation in his brain. The arteriovenous malformation (AVM), an abnormal ball of arteries and veins, was located deep in his brain and responsible for the coma, as well as impairing his vision in his left eye. Without treatment, the AVM could have eventually may have paralyzed Miguel, or worse.

Miguel's physician in Guadalajara contacted Martin Sandoval, M.D., a Modesto resident who commutes and is licensed to practice in Mexico. Dr. Sandoval accepted the challenge and brought Miguel to Modesto where a local neurosurgeon had agreed to treat him. Unfortunately when the neurosurgeon evaluated Meguel, he determined that more specialized equipment would be needed. Dr. Sandoval then met with physicians at UCSF to inquire about treatment with the Gamma Knife, and found that it was the only viable option for Miguel's condition. However, the costs associated with treatment at UCSF were too prohibitive.

Sacramento's KCRA Channel 3 documented Miguel's dilemma on the 6 o'clock news, catching the eye of Cancer Center Director Joan Mengelkoch, who then contacted the Cancer Center's Gamma Knife team of physicians to see if they could help. They agreed, and Sutter contacted Dr. Sandoval. "I was frustrated," said Dr. Sandoval. "But when I received the call from Sutter, life breathed back into me...we had never thought of finding the solution in Sacramento."

The Gamma Knife team at Sutter Gamma Knife Radiosurgery Center performed the outpatient procedure on Monday, Aug. 20. According to the team of physicians treating Miguel, procedures like Miguel's have a 95 percent success rate.

Following the procedure, Miguel was a little groggy and hungry, but very grateful and ready to go home. "We have a lot of faith that Miguel will now be OK," said his mother Marta. "We are very thankful for the kindness and love that has been shared with us here."

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