Abby Scruggs Soars to New Heights and Achievements

Dawn Scruggs is very proud of her smart and beautiful Abigail Jo and is equally appreciative of her daughter’s doctor, who has helped treat and care for Abigail for the past 14 years. Dawn wrote a note of appreciation to Marcelo Hochman, M.D., an MUSC double board-certified facial plastic & reconstructive surgery and otolaryngology/head & neck surgery specialist, whose expertise in pediatric vascular anomalies and other tumors is widely recognized. His Hemangioma and Malformation Treatment Center is at MUSC Children’s R. Keith Summey Medical Pavilion. The note read in part:

“I know I always say this but I truly mean it. Thank you for what you have done for her. I see adults all the time who have not been treated, and their lives have been so different, so difficult. You have made this possible for her in so many ways. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!”

Abigail Jo was born May 3, 2003 in Spartanburg, S.C. with a port-wine stain birthmark that covered half of her face, head and chest. At first, her parents were told it was just a bruise but her pediatrician explained the day after she was born that it was much more than a bruise and was in fact a vascular birthmark. At the time, he was concerned that she also had Sturge-Weber syndrome.

 

Port-wine stains are vascular birthmarks that occur in about three out of every 1,000 children born.  About 3 percent of children with port-wine stains have Sturge-Weber syndrome, which impacts the brain and can result in seizures, eye problems, weak muscles, migraines and learning challenges.

Dawn and Matt Scruggs didn’t waste any time.  They started their own research. Meanwhile, CT scans, MRI’s, hearing tests, glaucoma tests and others all came back normal. The dark red mark that stained Abby’s scalp, the left side of her face, both sides of her and chest remained. It was also inside her mouth, a perfect line down the roof of her mouth, tongue and gums, with one side red and the other normal. It covered her entire bottom lip, chin and neck.

They learned of a birthmark conference in New York and immediately decided to take Abby to the conference. Their fears grew as they met other families who were struggling with the same concerns and some had children who were horribly disfigured and handicapped. For two years, they continued to travel to New York for laser treatments that aimed to lighten the birthmark. Then their New York physician referred them to Dr. Hochman in Charleston, a pediatric specialist treating vascular anomalies in patients from around the country and the world.

Abby continued to have tests and eventually the Sturge-Weber diagnosis was reversed as they did not find any abnormal blood vessels in the brain. Unfortunately, the port-wine stain continued to grow fat and bigger than the other side of her face. A couple surgeries helped to “de-bulk” that growth. She continues to be checked for glaucoma every six months and also continues to have laser treatments every four to six weeks in Charleston. She wears braces and will have orthodontic surgery to correct the issues created by the birthmark inside her mouth.

 

But this amazing young woman, in spite of all that she has experienced, has grown to become one of the smartest and most talented individuals around. Her list of achievements and accomplishments could fill volumes. She is an athlete, “sings like an angel” (according to her mother), has won scholarships for her singing, performs on stage in leading roles and solos, plays the cello, piano, and acoustic and electric guitar, and even sings with the Spartanburg Philharmonic Orchestra. She has also sung with Tim Lawter of the Marshall Tucker band, the Reshana Marie Band, The Rocky Creek Boys and the Clinchfield Railroad.

She has soared academically and has served in multiple leadership roles including her high school Beta Club where she is president, and recently she was elected president of the South Carolina Senior Beta Club. In June, she’ll run for the national presidency.

Serving her community is always on her list, and she is active in her church and helps others in local soup kitchens, nursing homes and women’s shelters. She performs at school worship services and is active in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

Recently, Abby competed in her first Miss Chesnee Pageant and was awarded the title of Miss Palmetto Teen, Miss Chesnee Teen Best Talent and the Miss Chesnee Judges Award. In June, she’ll compete in Miss South Carolina Teen with her platform being Embrace the Dots: Vascular Birthmark Awareness.  She hopes to use her platform and position to bring awareness to vascular birthmarks. She would like to bring acceptance of differences not only by others but by the patients themselves.

Never hindered by her port-wine stain, Abby makes time to serve as a global ambassador for the Vascular Birthmark Foundation in New York and reaches out to support groups to provide encouraging words for those afflicted with the same birth defect.

Dawn Scruggs also helps parents and is always ready to take a call from a parent whose child is diagnosed with port-wine stain.

“I urge all parents to be informed and educate yourself,” she said. “Go to more than one physician and don’t settle for just anyone. Make sure you have the best.

“I wouldn’t go anywhere else besides MUSC. It’s a whole different ball game at MUSC,” she added.

She said the doctors and nurses at MUSC really care about you. “They want to know how you are and care for you as a person. We are just so happy at MUSC.”