Rochester boy has life-changing surgery in NYC

Rochester, New York — A 6-year-old Julius Pacheco from Rochester, had an unusual growth on his lip, but thanks to a life-altering surgery performed in New York City, he is now ready to tackle the new school year.

According to Julius’ parents, they were told that it is a sort of benign tumor that would go away with time, but like Julius’ mother, Angela Lugo says that didn’t happen. “Hormones apparently would have caused it to massively grow… Nobody really tried to figure it out,” Angela said.

Dr. Gregory Levitin with the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai managed to diagnose the growth.

“It was actually a type of vascular malformation called a ‘venous malformation,” Levitin said.

According to Dr. Levitin, if someone with this diagnosis were to fall and cut open the area, they could in theory bleed to death. It could also grow to clog airway paths.

“Imagine that in the airway. So, it can continue all the way into the tongue and the airway,” Levitin said. “Those are really challenging cases.”

At school, many activities were a no-go for Julius.

“I think that now he has this thing off, he’s going to be even more confident,” Levitin said.

Julius’ father Jeremiah Pacheco saying in just two days, his boy was back to normal.

“I think the biggest thing for me was his recovery. Everything was taken care of and that was just such a relief,” Pacheco said.

Julius’parents saying his friends might not recognize him when he goes back to school.

“The thing that they know about me…and recognize me from is my heart,” Julius said.