Tumors
One of the worst thing that you can hear from a doctor is that you have a tumor. This is because many tumors can be fatal. These tumors are called malignant. The other type of tumor is benign, which don’t contain cancer and are often not fatal. A woman from Fort Wayne, Indiana knows all about tumors because she has had thousands of them for most of her life.
Libby Huffer
Libby Huffer is a woman who has endured a lot during her life. She has a rare genetic condition called neurofibromatoses, also known as NF1. According to the Mayo Clinic, this condition causes the formation of small, pebble-like tumors around the tissue of nerve. In most cases, the tumors are benign. The tumors can pop up inside the body or all over the skin. In Libby’s case, the tumors are on her skin. She has close to 6,000 of them on her body.
Early Diagnosis
Libby was diagnosed when she was just 5-years-old. Back then, she was known as Elizabeth. Although she was diagnosed when she was very young, the symptoms didn’t begin until she was a teenager. Libby’s teenage years were difficult. Due to the tumors all over her body, her classmates called her toad and lizard breath. As if the bullying weren’t enough, her tumors were very painful. It was so bad that a simple hug would cause agonizing pain.
Growing Up
When Libby got older, things didn’t get any better. She started calling herself Libby rather than Elizabeth. Every time she heard the name, Elizabeth, she thought about lizard breath. When she would go to the supermarket, adults would stare at her and the children would point. She would try to hide most of her bumps underneath her clothes. All she wanted was to live a life where she could look normal and where she would be free from pain.
A Treatment Option
Finally, Libby got some good news. She found out about a treatment option. She heard about an electrodesiccation procedure followed by a CO2 laser that could remove the growth on her body and make her look relatively normal. Each round of the treatment was very expensive. The average cost would be five figures. She could afford several treatments, but because she had 6,000 small tumors all over her body, she couldn’t afford to get rid of every single one of them.
The Doctors
The Doctors is a television show about health and rare disorders. They offered to bring Libby on the show and remove her tumors for completely free. She couldn’t believe her luck. Finally, she would get all of the treatment that she needed. It was the answer to the prayers. This is something that she had wished for ever since she was a teenager and finally, her wish was coming true. Libby and her daughter finally had hope.
The Surgery
The surgery took two doctors and many, many hours. She didn’t care about the pain or the difficult recovery. All she cared about was finally, being free of pain. She knew that after the treatment, she could leave the house without being started at. The most important thing to her was to be able to rub her hand over her skin and feel something smooth.
The Reveal
Before her big reveal on the show, The Doctors had her work with a famous stylist to get her camera ready. The results were absolutely amazing. She looked like a completely different person. Her daughter, Lindsey, who was in the audience, broke down in tears. She couldn’t believe how gorgeous her mother looked. Lindsey told that audience that finally, they could see in their mother what she had been seeing her entire life. Mom has 6,000 tumors removed from body, daughter breaks down crying at the transformation.
A Life Saved
Although Libby’s condition was not fatal, she felt everyday like it was. She wasn’t able to live her life to the fullest because of the pain and embarrassment that her tumors caused her. Finally, she could live the life that she wanted.
The Transformation
To see how much Libby’s surgery has changed her appearance and her overall well being, you have to see the footage from the show.
YouTube Description
Can you imagine having 6,000 painful tumors covering your entire body? Can you imagine being bullied every day of your teenage and adult life? If you can, then you know exactly how Libby Huffer feels. She suffers from a rare, genetic condition that causes her body to be covered in tumors. She was embarrassed to leave the house and each day was a struggle. Her daughter never saw her as anything other than beautiful, but the rest of the world didn’t.
Finally, The Doctors offered to help her. They performed surgery to remove the tumors on her body. It wasn’t an easy surgery, but it was successful.
After the procedure, she went back on The Doctors for the reveal. The set her up with a professional stylist so that she could look her best during the big reveal. Her daughter’s reaction will bring a tear to your eyes. You have to see it to believe it.
