'I really do feel beautiful now': Joy for mom of two with 'one-of-a-kind' ... trends now
A mom with a horrific disease that caused thousands of agonizing tumors to grow all over her body has spoken of her joy at having them removed after more than 60 hours of surgery - saying of her incredible transformation: 'I really do feel beautiful now.'
Charmaine Sahadeo, 42, from Trinidad, suffers from the rare condition NF-1 neurofibromatosis, which resulted in growths on her scalp, in her mouth, all over her face, arms, legs, buttocks, breasts and on her genital region.
She has had the condition since she was born, but says it became 'a lot worse' following the birth of her second child around 20 years ago, after which she started developing 'thousands of lumps'.
The debilitating growths turned her life upside-down, with Charmaine previously blaming her disorder for the breakdown of her 18-year marriage, as well as her financial difficulties due to employers being horrified by her appearance.
She has also had to endure cruel comments and stares from strangers for years, and after two surgeries in her home country decided she needed to seek more help abroad, launching a fundraiser.
After years of waiting, she finally found Dr Ryan Osborne, a renowned head and neck surgeon based in LA who was determined to help her overcome what is widely seen as one of the most serious cases of neurofibromatosis in the world.
The grandmother traveled 4,000 miles for the life-changing surgery, which has allowed her to breathe more easily, enabled her to walk and play with her granddaughter, and has left her feeling like a new woman.
Ms Sahadeo said she feels 98 percent better than she did before her procedures and she smiles more now
The left photo shows Charmaine Sahadeo before her surgeries and the right shows her after more than 60 hours of operations
Ms Sahadeo before her surgery with her sons, Caleb and Osiris, who are now in their 20s
Charmaine's tumors were almost entirely blocking her nose, making it nearly impossible to breathe, and one growing in her mouth - which she named 'Frank' - makes it hard for the mom-of-two to eat and talk.
A large mass on her leg meant she could not walk more than a few steps at a time and had to adjust the lumps in order to sit and urinate.
Because of her debilitating condition, her biggest fear was that she would become unable to breathe or call for help, and ultimately die alone.
She said in TLC's newest episode of Take My Tumor: 'All the bumps are getting so big. I am afraid that if I cannot breathe properly I will die. I might not even be able to reach out to someone in time to tell them.'
Ms Sahadeo's mother has NF-1 neurofibromatosis, though she said it is nowhere near as severe as her own.
The disease has impacted every aspect of her life. She never learned to drive, cannot wear properly fitting clothes and can't go into public without being heckled.
She said: 'This condition is very hard because people just like to stare and then have all kinds of negative things to say.'
The tumors are encroached on her eyes, giving her double and blurred vision and meaning she couldn't play with her granddaughter.
Ms Sahadeo added: 'It hurts a lot, not being able to be outside playing with her. I would like to be able to take her and just walk a couple houses up, [but] since she's born I have not had that experience.'
Charmaine Sahadeo from Trinidad, suffers from NF-1 neurofibromatosis, a rare condition that causes tumors to form across the body
The Trinidad native first began developing tumors when she was 13 years old, but they were smaller and less intrusive
The 42-year-old has to wear loose clothing in order to fit them over her large tumors
In search of relief, Ms Sahadeo discovered Dr Ryan Osborne, a Los Angeles-based head and neck surgical oncologist and director of the Osborne Head and Neck Institute
Dr Osborne said she is 'encroaching on some dangerous territory,' adding it was, 'urgent right now that we intervene'.
Despite all of her challenges, Ms Sahadeo's sons Caleb and Osiris, who are in their 20s, said she never complains.
Neither her they nor her granddaughter have shown signs of NF-1 neurofibromatosis, but the disease can occur at any point in a person's life.
Head and neck surgeon Dr Ryan Osborne
Dr Ryan Osborne is the brave surgeon who took on this 'one-of-a-kind case'.
After hearing about Charmaine's debilitating condition, the compassionate doctor said he knew he had to help her.
He said: 'When most doctors see a patient and it's a complex situation, they just see high risk. I see the opposite of that, which is high impact.
'It's an opportunity for me to have a huge impact on that patient's life. I went into medicine to help people.
'Once I make a human connection with a patient, I don't have a choice — I'm going to do the case.'
The father-of-two is director of The Osborne Head and Neck surgery and founded a charity which works to provide pro bono ENT surgical care to people worldwide.
He describes himself as someone who is 'determined to make a difference in the world,' with this being the reason why he trained to be a head and neck surgeon.
He's a physician, he says, 'but most of all he's a man of the people, a visionary, and a person that never gives up on his dreams.'
Dr. Osborne has dedicated his adult life to serve others and help grow those around him. He's built a private medical practice that provides specialty surgical care sought out by patients from around the world.
He leads yearly medical and impact missions around the world with the Dr Osborne Head and Neck Foundation, visiting countries in Africa and South and Central America, helping those who require life-changing surgeries.
He has now been featured on TLC's Take My Tumor, helping mother-of-two Charmaine from Trinidad to start a new life free of the many tumors she is covered with.
Dr Osborne was able to remove dozens of tumors from her body - including several large ones on her face and 'Frank' in her mouth, as well as the extremely large tumor on her leg.
Over 10 weeks, he operated on Ms Sahadeo 24 times, for a total of 60 hours.
Four weeks after her last surgery, back home in Trinidad, a grateful Charmaine said: 'Life is 100 percent better for me.'
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'So far everything is going good and I keep praying for them,' she said.
The Trinidad native first began developing tumors when she was 13 years old, though they began smaller and less intrusive. She only had 'a couple on my
