Young boy who had large lump on his neck recovers with help of GMA Kapuso Foundation

A young boy who had a life-threatening lump on his neck as big as a melon has now recovered with the help of the GMA Kapuso Foundation.

According to a "24 Oras" report on Monday, the boy is named Mark John Tripoli and he had a cystic hygroma. The lump on his neck weighed around one kilogram when he was three years old, back in 2014.

"Pag lumalaki siya, lumalaki din 'yung bukol niya," said Joan Estrada, Mark's mom. "Hindi po siya masayahin. Lagi lang po siya nakatingin sa labas."

Dr. Rene Louie Gutierrez, an ENT, head, and neck surgeon, said that the lump developed when Mark was born.

"Ito ay usually lumalaki at pumapalibot sa mga muscle layers ng ating leeg. At kung hindi natin ito naagapan ay maaaring mahirapan siya sa paghinga, paglunok at pagkain," he said.

The GMA Kapuso Foundation helped Mark with the operation and medicine and checked in on him again recently, almost a decade later.

Gutierrez said there is a chance of recurrence with the condition and it has to be monitored, but he is happy to see that Mark has fully recovered.

Now, Mark is happy and living life without the lump on his neck.

"Laking pasasalamat ko po sa inyo, sa mga tumulong po. Lalong lalo na po sa GMA Kapuso Foundation," said Joan, crying.

Mark echoed the same sentiment and said, "Maraming salamat po sa Kapuso Foundation. Okay na okay na po ako ngayon!"

The foundation also gave Mark and his family grocery packs and shoes.

The GMA Kapuso Foundation is accepting donations through bank deposits, Cebuana Lhuillier, GCash, Shopee, PayMaya, Zalora, MegaMart, Globe Rewards, Metrobank credit card, and Lazada.

For more information, visit the GMA Kapuso Foundation website.

—Kimberly Tsao/MGP, GMA Integrated News