Carol genuinely wanted to take her daughter’s “Batman mask” off, but doing so would need at least six surgeries. Another significant issue was that each procedure would cost about $40,000.
Mother of Luna, who was in anguish, started looking around for help. For the family, it was obviously a difficult moment.
“We saw many doctors. In an effort to get a better outcome, we traveled to Boston, Chicago, and New York,” Carol stated.
In order to prevent the potential that her daughter might be bullied, Carol tried to get the surgery completed before Luna began school. Luna and her family had to endure comments from others who, for some reason, could not accept that she looked different even when she was a tiny child.
Many parents in Carol’s circumstances may have stayed quiet and shied away from the spotlight, but the courageous mother chose to tell Luna’s story and raise awareness of her daughter’s illness. She set up an Instagram account so that others may view the family’s daily existence.
As news of Luna’s story spread internationally, doctors all around the world learned about her. One such person was a well-known Russian doctor.
Dr. Pavel Borisovich Popov, a surgeon and oncologist, caught ahold of Luna’s unique circumstance and got in touch with Carol to offer to perform a procedure not given in the US.
However, the so-called photodynamic therapy was expensive, so the family turned to the public for support. A fundraiser organized by Luna’s family raised $70,000 from others who wished to help the young girl.
“Everyone thinks I’m insane for traveling to Russia, but after doing extensive research and consulting with multiple medical professionals, I firmly believe that this is Luna’s best course of action at this time.”
Carol and Luna have been visiting Russia for the past few years to conduct tests and begin her therapy. The family has been able to go to the Krasnodar clinic despite the pandemic. Thankfully, every procedure up to now has been a success.
