Marlon Vera’s Daughter’s Serious Medical Condition: ‘Chito’ Explains His Child’s Illness

Marlon ‘Chito’ Vera is loved by numerous MMA fans for an awesome achievement. ‘Chito’ currently boasts a record of 23-9-1 in his professional career, but has never been defeated via knockout or submission. Needless to say, the mixed martial artist has often displayed impressive fighting prowess.

However, the story behind his UFC joining is quite disheartening. Vera initially appeared on the UFC-produced MMA-based reality show, ‘The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America’ in 2014. After advancing strongly to the semifinals, he had to face the wrath of luck. ‘Chito’ was barred from competing in the later stages of the contest which had him broken. He also revealed in an old video that his daughter was the prime reason why he wanted to get into the UFC and earn a lot of money.

What Medical Condition Does ‘Chito’ Vera’s Daughter Suffer From?

Marlon Vera became a father for the first time in 2011. His wife Maria Paulina Escobar gave birth to their first child whom they named Anna Paula. Vera’s mid-TUF setback broke him down. Talking about his eldest daughter Paula, he had once revealed, “I have never seen her smile, and that’s why I am working here”. ‘Chito’s’ eldest daughter, Paula, is diagnosed with a disease called Moebius syndrome. Patients with this neurological disorder are reportedly unable to control the muscles responsible for facial expressions.

Moebius syndrome is a pretty rare defect that attacks a child’s facial muscles at birth. With the absence of the 6th and 7th cranial nerves, such children are unable to move their eyes and express themselves through their faces. The first symptom that such infants show is their inability to suck through their mouths. To add on top of the parents’ stress, there is no treatment for Moebius syndrome.

It’s quite understandable that due to this disease, Paula had never been able to smile. A lot of other fathers might relate to Vera’s agony in this regard. It’s hard for most fathers to go for even a day without seeing or listening to their little ones’ giggles. Vera’s distress here might be termed unimaginable.

And the motivation behind Vera’s struggle for success in the MMA cage is, of course, the betterment of his family, especially Paula. After all, parents of children with such neurological disorders are pretty stressed out, don’t you think? Thankfully, his other kids are diagnosed with no such defect.

How many kids does Marlon Vera have?

Vera and Escobar have two other kids together. Vera’s son was born in 2015, and the couple named him Jose Ignacio. They welcomed their second daughter and the youngest one in the family, back in 2018. She was named Elaina. But, it was Vera’s eldest daughter, Anna Paula, who propelled him to get into the UFC.

‘Chito’ and his wife open up about their parenthood struggles 

An old video that surfaced on Reddit, showcased Vera’s ‘TUF: LA’ days. It showcased Vera having a conversation with his gym mates. Vera was also seen breaking down quite a few times in the video. Talking about one of his bouts, ‘Chito’ also stated, “I’m a bit tired, but I was strong. And I did it”.

But he was seen breaking down at the thoughts of his daughter after that. One of his mates also consoled him saying, “Relax. She’s your inspiration, right? That’s a very unique moment. She’s your daughter”.

In the video, Vera also stated, “The first thing I’ll do once I’m in the UFC is pay for my daughter’s surgery”. Vera’s dream of getting his daughter cured finally came to life in 2018. As per reports, his daughter is currently living a happy and normal life after her surgery. ‘Chito’ also stated that his daughter being able to smile after her surgery was “the best thing that’s ever happened in my life”.

What did you think of Vera’s daughter’s heartbreaking disability? Let us know in the comments below.