Davis making progress: Marco girl rallying after extensive brain surgery

Photo by QUENTIN ROUX

Olivia, says her mom Stephanie, is "sunny-side up, all the time."

Olivia Davis is doing fine. The 10-year-old Marco girl who underwent extensive brain surgery Monday at Miami Childrens Hospital to rid her of epileptic seizures, remains in the hospital’s ICU, but the operation has been hailed as a success.

It involved the complete removal of her right brain hemisphere.

The most recent update supplied by the family reveals that doctors confirmed the entire hemisphere showed disease.

“Bittersweet news,” the family wrote, “but we all feel positive that this surgery was the only course of action to facilitate her ultimate recovery. We are moving forward to the next step peacefully.”

Olivia, doctors told the family at the outset, would face paralysis of the left side of her body — something that would need extensive therapy through the next two years.

Close family friend Jim Prange said he’d been in touch with parents Bruce and Stephanie Davis on Tuesday, and that Stephanie had told him she’d spoken briefly with her child following the surgery.

Prange said Stephanie had said there was some concern when Olivia exhibited a small seizure, but that doctors attributed this to the brain adapting itself to the surgery.

In the meantime, there has been a huge response locally to Olivia’s desire to raise funds, not for herself, but for epilepsy research in general.

Her firstgiving.com/oliviadavis Web site had collected about $300 the weekend before her surgery, but after her story was published in the Eagle money started pouring in.

Today’s total amount is more than $10,000, and has met the child’s goal.

Prange said the Davis couple had told him doctors hope to see Olivia walking by July 4, appropriately, Independence Day.