Dispensing hugs and kisses to a bevy of well-wishers, Mayra Nacevilla-Chantasia left Baltimore yesterday afternoon with a brand new face and a look-at-me attitude.
The 6-year-old Ecuadorean girl, who underwent a charitable operation in November to correct deformities in her skull, left Baltimore-Washington International Airport for Quito, Ecuador's capital.
"She's going to be a celebrity in her own township," said Dr. Brian Flowers, an otolaryngologist and plastic surgeon who helped operate on Mayra during a $100,000 procedure at the University of Maryland Medical Center.
The 10-hour operation closed a hole in the front of Mayra's skull that had let the frontal lobe of her brain push through her nasal cavity. The condition is known as a frontonasal encephalocele.
Before her surgery, Mayra did not attend school and was known as "La Bola" -- "the ball" in Spanish -- to children who teased her about the round bulb protruding from between her eyes.
The operation and her exposure to Americans have changed Mayra from a shy, withdrawn child into one who laughs and chatters almost constantly, say her doctors and care givers.
"Her personality has changed," said Tammy Fesche of Westminster, who founded Ecuadent, a nonprofit group that sends U.S. doctors to Ecuador to treat the poor. "She has a lot of self-confidence."
Dressed in a flower-print smock and black tights, Mayra darted among passengers in the airport, speaking rapidly in Spanish and watching herself on a camcorder.
"I'm sad," said Mayra in Spanish minutes before she boarded a Boeing 727 jet that would help deliver her and a guardian home eight hours later. To keep her occupied on the plane, she carried a backpack full of crayons, papers, books, a baby doll and stuffed bunny.
Ruben Bassantes, an Ecuadorean army captain, escorted Mayra during the return trip.
Doctors said they plan to visit Mayra yearly in Ecuador but don't expect to conduct any follow-up treatments.
"The only issues with her now are cosmetic," said Dr. Flowers, explaining that the skin around her nose would continue to shrink over time.
Mayra's medical bills and other expenses were paid by several groups, including the UM Medical Center; its Interdisciplinary Craniofacial Center, which specializes in facial deformities; and Ecuadent.
The Ronald McDonald House subsidized her stay in the United States. Members of Baltimore's Ecuadorian Social Club donated more than $700 toward her trip to the United States and have visited her in the hospital and donated toys and clothing.
Care givers said Mayra's new appearance has changed how people perceive her.
"We look at her and see her for what she is," said Lynne Garvin, an Ecuadent member who helped look after Mayra during her stay in Baltimore. "She's beautiful on the inside and beautiful on the outside."