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Immigration authorities have blocked a visa application for a severely deformed Samoan child seeking medical treatment in New Zealand because they say an operation will not help.
Four-month-old Miracletina - known as Baby Miracle - was born to Sefulu and Mikaele Nanai in Falelatai near Apia with extreme deformities. Her misshapen eyes were pushed to the side of her tiny face and her nose and mouth were malformed, preventing her from suckling.
Samoan doctors had decided she should not be fed, and be left to die quietly. But her family refused to let her die and secretly fed her, and supporters launched a campaign to raise money to get her to New Zealand for a full medical assessment.
About $103,000 was raised, with $38,000 from a New Zealand-based appeal.
But the Labour Department's deputy secretary, Mary Anne Thompson, said in a statement published in Samoa that "treatment could not cure Tina's condition and further assessment and surgery had no part to play".
The Labour Department called in medical experts to examine the baby, and on the basis of their report the visa was declined.
"Three New Zealand medical specialists, including a paediatrician, a craniofacial surgeon and a plastic and reconstructive surgeon, have all concluded that treatment is not advisable and will not benefit Tina's quality of life," Ms Thompson said.
Travelling to New Zealand would only offer "false hope and possibly unrealistic expectations," she said.
One of the New Zealand experts - Dr Rosemary Marks of the Starship hospital - said in a prognosis of Baby Miracle's condition published in Samoan media that her condition was "extremely poor and we would expect that this child will die".
"I do not think that any intervention could be offered by New Zealand that would change the long-term prognosis for Miracle."
But her supporters remain confident the youngster will eventually be able to have medical treatment in New Zealand, despite the Labour Department's rejection of the visa.
Samoa TV producer Taufau Aukuso told the Weekend Herald the baby was in American Samoa for further tests and scans, which could provide renewed hope.
"If the report comes back and says there's hope for Miracle, we will do another [visa] application."
The Immigration Department would be "willing to reconsider a visa and waive the application fee" if new research was raised, Ms Thompson said in her statement.
Ms Aukuso said Baby Miracle was defying the odds, and "fighting hard", and was being fed milk through a syringe.
The infant was also "responding, crying and smiling".
- additional reporting NZPA
