Baby’s Life-Changing Surgery Removing Massive Tumor Completely Transforms Her Appearance


When a child is born, the parents often say that they are happy the child is healthy and happy. For the parents that welcomed this little girl into the world, there was some anxiety associated with the birth. She was born with a large tumor on the side of her face but thanks to the excellent work of a surgeon in New York City, a transformation has taken place.

Joe and Jennifer McGillis, a couple from Montana were about to welcome the first child into their family. There were very few issues associated with the pregnancy or the birth but when their daughter was born on February 25, 2015, they could see a large lump on her left cheek.

Jennifer said that when they saw their baby for the first time she “went into shock at that point”

Sloan is all of these things!!!

Posted by Sloan's Story: The little girl vs the big tumor on Wednesday, March 30, 2016

Joe said that he “had about a minute of panic – terror”. Fortunately, the tumor was benign so it was relatively harmless to her health. As she got older, however, there would be problems connected to it.

They wanted the best for their daughter so they looked for a surgeon that could help their child through this difficult time. They knew it wouldn’t be an easy procedure. They settled on a doctor in New York, Dr. Milton Waner.

The family traveled to get a consultation and they found out that the surgery required an incision close to the eye and one between the cheek and the nose. The procedure would be a delicate one with the primary objective of avoiding the facial nerves.

When their daughter, Sloan was 10 months old, it was time for the operation to take place. Jennifer was with her daughter right up until the surgery got started. The parents were understandably anxious but the doctor was skilled and continued to work hard throughout the five-hour procedure. In the end, it was considered a success.

Dr. Waner could not remove all of the tumor because it was so large. Two more visits were required to remove the remainder of it. At that point, her facial muscles would be able to develop properly later in life.

Jennifer had the following to say about the way her daughter handled the situation: “For being a tiny little baby, she handled it all amazingly! She’s not scared.”

The story was reported on Inside Edition and they continued to keep up with Sloan as she went through two more procedures. The second procedure occurred when she was 14 months old and then the final operation occurred at age 2. All of the tumor had been removed by that point.

In the end, the results are nothing short of astonishing. The parents are thankful for the transformation and her mother calls it ‘a miracle. A chance for a better life’.

1st official school picture???????????? Preschool 2018-2019

Posted by Sloan's Story: The little girl vs the big tumor on Tuesday, October 2, 2018

Sloan showed a considerable amount of bravery throughout the process. She is now four years old and is taking gymnastics but her goal in life is to be a ‘pedicure girl’.

A post on Facebook was put online on her fourth birthday and was captioned: “in a field of roses she’s a wildflower”. The post goes on to say:

“It’s crazy to me each time I look back & see how far this girl has come. Just four short years ago we didn’t know what the future would hold for her & now all we see is how she thrives. She’s got sass, independence, humor, brains & beauty! Her strength is like no other. Her resiliency is mind blowing. Although her tumor & surgeries were a large part of the 1st years of her life it was never what defined her. She continues to show the world what she is made of & keeps us on our toes at all times.”

New kicks & she also looks like she's about 12????????

Posted by Sloan's Story: The little girl vs the big tumor on Thursday, March 14, 2019

It was a difficult start but her parents were with her and now Sloan is a positive part of their life. You can see more in this video:


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