Rhea Mahbubani

Doctor Treats Father and Daughter For Same Rare Condition Nearly 25 Years Apart

An infant must undergo a rare surgery for a birth defect that occurs in one out of every 2,000 births.

It turns out, though, that the doctor who is treating the nine-week old girl also treated her father at the same hospital more than two decades ago.

Dr. Bryant Toth of UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital operated on Brandon Borer nearly 25 years ago at the Oakland facility. He performed multiple surgeries on Borer to correct the Craniosynostosis that caused the man’s head to be deformed. 

The condition “can result in blindness,” Toth said. “It can result in retardation.”

Toth is now treating Borer’s daughter, Nevaeh, who was fitted with a helmet to correct the same condition. The girl’s name is heaven spelled backward, Borer said.

The doctor performed a 10-hour surgery to rearrange the bones in Nevaeh’s skull, so her brain will have enough room to grow properly.

“It just broke my heart,” Borer said. “That’s my daughter.”

Nevaeh’s surgery went well and medical advancements will make it easier for her to heal. Although the baby girl faces more surgeries and physical therapy, her father is confident that in his ability to help her.

“I can be there a little more for her I think in a supportive manner,” he said. “It doesn’t change who you are going through something like this. In a sense, it makes you stronger.”

For his part, Toth said this is his first father-daughter case. Medical experts are now taking a closer look to see if there is genetic link.

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