Elisa was born in Turkey with eight fingers on her left hand, a condition called Ulnar Dimelia, or Mirror Hand Syndrome. Fewer than 100 people worldwide are known to have it, which meant her parents, Emircan and Gulten Buga, faced a choice no family prepares for: find the rare surgeon who could help, wherever that surgeon happened to be. That surgeon was Dr. Charles Goldfarb at St. Louis Children’s Hospital, 5,800 miles from home.
On Jan. 30, Dr. Goldfarb led a three-hour reconstructive surgery on Elisa’s hand. The family speaks only Turkish and worked with a translator throughout their time in St. Louis, but they say the language barrier never interfered with her care. The hospital’s International Free Care Fund covered the cost of treatment, and the family credited the team with both financial and emotional support.
Elisa is now recovering, and her father says she’ll go forward with more confidence and courage. He added that they’ll always miss that hand, because that’s how her story began. Stories like this one show how far families will go for their kids, and how much a hospital charity fund can change a life. Have you or someone you love ever traveled far for specialized medical care? Tell us about it.
