A Congolese boy who was flown to the United States for surgery to remove a large facial tumor died Friday, said former NBA star Dikembe Mutombo, whose foundation sponsored the child’s trip.
Matadi Sela Petit, 8, was born with a cleft lip and a tumor on the left side of his face that grew as he got older, Mutombo wrote in an Instagram post on Saturday. Matadi died during surgery because of a “rare and unpredictable genetic reaction” to anesthesia.
“Despite the diligent efforts of his medical caregivers, Matadi did not recover and he passed away last night,” Mutombo wrote.