Girl's brain tumor vanishes, and more medical miracles that inspired us in 2018
The apparent miraculous healing of an 11-year-old girl who was diagnosed with deadly brain cancer is one of several mysterious and inspiring medical cases from 2018.
Roxli Doss of Texas was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor in June known as diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma. She wasn't expected to survive. But, weeks later, the tumor vanished from MRI scans, her family said. Doctors have no explanation.
"God healed Roxli," her mom Gena Doss said.
Today, Roxli is "just as active as she ever was," her dad Scott Doss said. She's even horseback riding.
Here are more shocking health stories from the year:
Boy comes back to life after parents sign organ donation papers
The day before doctors were set to pull the plug on 13-year-old Trenton McKinley's life support systems, the boy started showing signs of mental cognition. He was so close to death, his parents had signed papers to donate his organs to five separate children needing transplants. Trenton had been flipped in a cart while being pulled by a utility vehicle. At the hospital, he "died 4 times (and) one time for 15 min. The last time they brought him back he had no brain waves," his mom Jennifer Nicole Reindl wrote on Facebook. The only explanation for his sudden recovery? "It's a miracle," she said.
Baby born using uterus transplant from dead donor
Brazilian doctors announced earlier this month that a baby girl was healthy and doing well after being born using a uterus transplanted from a deceased donor — a world first. The mother used the uterus of a 45-year-old woman who had three previous children and died of a stroke, as detailed in a case report published in the medical journal Lancet.
More: First baby born using uterus transplant from dead donor, doctors say
Same-sex couple carries same baby
Two Texas mothers each carried their baby because of a medical advance that begins like traditional IVF. The early embryo was placed into Bliss Coulter, 36, and then transferred to wife Ashleigh Coulter, 28, for the majority of the pregnancy. Now, they have a happy, healthy baby boy.
More: Same-sex couple carries same 'miracle' baby in what may be fertility world first
Man undergoes life-changing facial transplant
Cameron Underwood, who was injured by a self-inflicted gunshot wound in 2016, revealed his new facial transplant in June. More than 100 surgeons, nurses and staff were involved in the procedure earlier this year that used the face of a Johns Hopkins University student who died unexpectedly. "I hope to get back to work soon, too, and someday start a family," Underwood said.
More: Calif. man on face transplant: 'It's important to share my story to help inspire others'
Dog sniffs out owner's ovarian cancer — three times
An emergency room doctor told Stephanie Herfel she had an ovarian cyst and sent her home with narcotic pain meds. But Herfel's dog nervously sniffing her lower belly and then hiding prompted her to get a second opinion — one that revealed she actually had ovarian cancer. Since then, The Siberian husky, Sierra, later identified Herfel's cancer twice more, again in 2015 and then in 2016, by sniffing and hiding. Now, Herfel is cancer-free and raising funds for research on ovarian cancer.
More: 'She has never been wrong': Siberian husky sniffs out owner's ovarian cancer three times
Other inspiring stories:
Child's crisis becomes Christmas miracle. 20 years later, family celebrates daughter's 'normal life'
Army veteran meets the little girl he saved with his bone marrow donation
Conjoined twin baby girls separated after major six-hour surgery
Sarah Reinertsen explains how she does the Ironman with a prosthetic leg
Follow Ashley May on Twitter: @AshleyMayTweets
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Girl's brain tumor vanishes, and more medical miracles that inspired us in 2018
