A Life Changing Journey: Preethi Davis ( Dr. Dix Poppas from Weill Cornell)
Amazing Patient Stories : Preethi Davis was born in India with a rare and complex congenital abnormality in which her
reproductive, urological, and gastrointestinal
systems were combined into a single opening.
She underwent multiple surgeries and treatments
in India, and while her doctors did the best they
could, they were unsuccessful. Ultimately, Preethi’s
parents were unable to care for her, and placed her
in an orphanage for children with no hope. Shawna
Davis, a successful young designer from Hoboken,
New Jersey, frequently traveled to India on business.
During one of her trips, she had the opportunity
to visit the orphanage and meet Preethi, who was
then four years old. Preethi lived in very poor
conditions at the orphanage and spoke no English.
Shawna instantly connected with Preethi and wanted
desperately to help her. After doing much research,
she found Dix Poppas, MD, Chief of the Institute
for Pediatric Urology at the Phyllis and David Komansky
Center for Children’s Health of NewYork-Presbyterian/
Weill Cornell. Resolved to do whatever she could to save
Preethi, Shawna was able to obtain all of her medical
records and shared them with Dr. Poppas, who developed
a surgical plan to do a major reconstruction of Preethi’s
anatomy. Shawna adopted Preethi and brought her to
New York. Now, three years later, and after multiple
successful surgeries, Preethi, who is 7, speaks English,
goes to school, and is doing extremely well! She will need
some additional surgery in the future, but the worst is
behind her and she can expect to live a normal, happy life
with a very special and incredible Mom. www.cornellurology.com