A 3-year-old Brazilian girl received a life-changing surgery from a team of U.S. doctors who were moved by her parents’ plea on social media.

Melyssa Delgado Braga of Sao Paolo, Brazil, is still recovering from the surgery that removed a 5-pound tumor from her face.

The rare but non-cancerous growth, called a myxoma, had severely affected the young girl’s jaw, displacing her tongue and making it difficult to eat and breathe.

After learning that doctors in Brazil couldn’t perform the operation, Melyssa’s family shared a video message on social media asking for help getting to the U.S. for treatment.

The campaign caught the attention of Dr. Celso Palmieri Jr., a Sao Paolo native who now works as an assistant professor of oral and maxillofacial surgery at Louisiana State University. He sent the message to his colleague and department chairman, Dr. G.E. Ghali, who said he could help.

“It was heartbreaking,” Dr. Ghali told PEOPLE of Melyssa’s condition. “She couldn’t even hold her head up, the tumor was so large. She could hardly swallow and was beginning to have trouble breathing.”

“Her tongue was pushed far back toward her throat,” he continues, “it was becoming increasingly dangerous if not treated in time.”

The family had been gathering money for plane tickets to the U.S., but had no way of covering an operation of this kind, which can cost up to $400,000, Dr. Ghali says.

Dr. Ghali approached Willis-Knighton Health System President James K. Elrod, who agreed to provide housing and have the health system cover the cost of the hospital stay. A medical team also agreed to donate their time for the procedure.

Dr. Palmieri reached out to the family with the good news, and within one month they arrived at LSU Health-Shreveport. During the 8-hour operation on December 20, doctors removed the tumor and carefully reconstructed the young girl’s jaw, mouth and tongue.

“All of the procedures were donated, everybody contributed their time and the hospital and healthcare system provided their space and equipment,” Dr. Ghali says. “I looked at it as our Christmas gift to this little girl and her family.”

When Melyssa’s parents saw her for the first time after the surgery, they both burst into tears.

“They were so happy they were crying,” Dr. Ghali says. “They were very grateful for what was done for them.”

Melyssa will need more reconstructive surgery in a few years, but as Dr. Ghali explains, the most difficult part is now behind her.

“To be able to help little children like this and make a lasting difference in their life is truly meaningful,” he says.

At a news conference last week, Dr. Palmieri translated a message of thanks from Melyssa’s father, Manasses Braga, to her medical team.

“I really want to thank everybody for what all of you did,” Manasses said. “We had been waiting for help for such a long time and in one month everything happened.”