A three-month-old Melbourne baby girl, Daisy, is set to undergo a series of complex operations costing an estimated $1.5 million to address two rare conditions affecting her right leg. Daisy was born with proximal femoral focal deficiency and fibular hemimelia, resulting in an underdeveloped femur and a missing fibula, as well as improperly formed hip, knee, and ankle joints.
Her mother, Racquel Ferraro, learned about the severity of the condition at her 21-week ultrasound, initially finding her baby's thigh bone was four weeks behind in development. Further medical consultations led to the difficult suggestion of considering termination.
"As soon as I answered the phone, the doctor was like, 'I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry... this is serious.' He just didn't know what to say," Ferraro told the Daily Mail. "He said when things are this serious, you should probably consider termination as an option. That's what made me really spiral."
After further tests confirmed the condition appeared to be isolated to Daisy's right leg, Ferraro chose to continue the pregnancy. She described the emotional toll of preparing for the possibility of termination while hoping for the best.
Daisy's condition was fully understood about five weeks after her birth. Due to a limited number of such cases in Australia, the family sought further specialist opinions overseas and found options with US orthopaedic surgeon Dr. Dror Paley. Ferraro reported that Dr. Paley reassured her that Daisy would be able to walk, run, and play sports after treatment.
Daisy's treatment journey is extensive. Her first surgery, a 12-hour procedure focusing on her hip, knee, and ankle joints, is scheduled for when she is two years old and is expected to cost approximately $548,000. Subsequent leg-lengthening procedures will follow, with treatment anticipated to continue until her mid-teens. A final surgery will involve correcting leg length differences. The total estimated cost for all procedures is $1.5 million.
To help fund Daisy's treatment, Ferraro, who owns the children's clothing brand Cinnamon Baby, is launching a new collection called 'Every Daisy Grows Its Own Way'. A sub-fund has also been established for Daisy through the CFD Foundation to accept tax-deductible donations.