COMM: Gabriel Cooper is embarking on life
changing surgery. The identical twin was born with Pierre Robin Syndrome, a rare condition
affecting his jaw.
HADIN COOPER: I realized people treated Gabriel
differently when we were in school. The older kids couldn’t figure it out because they
didn’t know us. So they thought that you know it was cool to provoke him.
GABRIEL COOPER: To this day honestly I don’t
really like taking photos.
COMM: He’s traveled to New York with his
mother for the specialist plastic surgery.
Dr. Stephen Warren: How you doing this morning?
Gabriel: I’m doing good. Dr. Stephen Warren: You all set for today?
We’ve got our work cut out for us.
DR. STEPHEN WARREN: So our plan is to make
little bone cuts on either side of the mandible and then attach the little device here. Once
we do that we’ll stop the operation today and close things up and then over the coming
thirty days we’ll turn that little device 1 millimeter a day but the device will open
and lengthen the mandible so that his lower jaw matches the upper jaw.
Dr. Stephen Warren: All right, Gabriel Cooper, member record no. 5910699 date of birth 03/18/1997.
He’s got bilateral facial microsomia.
SURGEON: The procedure will probably take
about 2 hours maybe 3 hours total with the anesthesia.
RAMONA COOPER: Today is our final visit of
this phase or this stage of this traction in New York with Dr. Warren.
DR. STEPHEN WARREN: Hi, how you doing?
Gabriel Cooper: Good sir, how are you? Dr. Stephen Warren: Good to see you! Hi, welcome
back! The distraction devices that we placed at the time of Gabriel’s first operation
are activated for thirty days. Once the activation is complete, the mandible needs to heal for
eight weeks, kind of like if you broke your arm you wear a cast for about eight weeks.
‘This is really good. I’m very optimistic that we will have accomplished our goal, which is
to have brought your jaw forward far enough.’
RAMONA COOPER: He is actually, honestly more
outgoing. He’s having conversations with people that he normally would’ve just said
‘Hi and Bye’, avoided. I’ve noticed that some of his mannerisms he’s dropped. Usually
he’s out in public he has a tendency of you know, sitting like this like he’s just
out there. He’s embracing the change really well.
COMM: Before surgery, Gabriel and his identical
twin, Hadin, shared few physical similarities.
RAMONA COOPER: I actually do see them looking
more alike.
Interviewer: Do you feel like you look more
like Hadin, now?