Acton boy with rare medical condition seeks help for surgery

ACTON, Calif. (KABC) -- A 10-year-old Acton boy suffering from an extremely rare medical condition hopes he can raise enough money for a surgery he desperately needs, yet is not covered by insurance.

When Austin Haddock was just 4 months old, his parents noticed an aggressive tumor rapidly growing on his gums. They say only a handful of people in the world have this condition.

In removing it, doctors were unable to save his jawbone. They used a rib to reconstruct one, but the bone is degrading.

Without dental implants, Austin will continue to have to go through painful bone grafting. Doctors believe implanted teeth would stimulate bone growth, preventing the more invasive surgeries.

"But the FDA hasn't approved micro-implants or any sort of implants in children, but he's such a special case that...so insurance companies don't, they don't understand," said Megan Haddock, Austin's mother.

Austin needs at least $12,000 to pay for the implants, and that doesn't include a bridge he needs.

His family has set up a GoFundMe page if you'd like to help. You can donate here: https://www.gofundme.com/jj4mx3ws.

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