Help If You Are Able
 

Hi everyone, I spoke to Mitzyboy about posting this on here and he was super nice to clear it with the BE people. Thank you Mitzyboy.

Unbeknownst to me one of my coworkers, here in Barbados, has been going through a very difficult time with her 14 year old son. In the last few months her son was diagnosed with a rapidly growing and increasingly disfiguring non-cancerous mass in his jaw. The condition was diagnosed here in Barbados, however since the procedure cannot be performed here it has been arranged that the surgery take place at Sick Kids Hospital in Toronto. His mother and father are of very modest means and the estimate given for this treatment in Toronto is an unbelievable sum: $254,843.75BB. Some of this expense will be covered by the government but it is unclear to what extent. At this point the young man's confidence has eroded to the point where he is not able to attend school or function in public, besides the mental pain I believe that it is increasingly difficult for him to eat normally. Some of you may have read an article in last Friday's Nation about this situation.

When my coworkers discovered this situation a fund was established at 1st Caribbean to help raise funds in order to cover the cost of the operation. I know that we all have our own responsibilities and limitations but if you are interested in contributing or know of someone that may be able to help in our efforts please reply to this post. If you would like to contribute please be aware that donations are being accepted as follows:


Again, normally I wouldn't bring this or any other similar issue to the forum, but I just know that this young man and his family need our help. Thank you so much.

P.S. If you have any questions or need more info just PM me.

Re: Help If You Are Able
 

oh gosh Zanne, I read it in the paper on Friday.. Terrible. and while government should pay, as the procedure cannot be done here, you are correct in not knowing how much they will contribute, and when that contribution would actually take place. Likely not until it's already to late.

my husbands cousins family is currently dealing with a situation of another young man who was given the wrong treatment (for lukemia), initially denied by the doctor at QEH as having done nothing wrong and now is paralyzed.. with pressure from several fronts QEH (the government) finally agreed to front the costs of his treatment at a hospital in Miami, but only after this situation went on for over 2 months. This could still be a potentially deadly situation and still they denied doing anything for this long.

I hope that your co-worker is fighting for what is her right (there is something by law about payment being made if the surgery is not or cannot be done here in Barbados). I'm not a lawyer, so have no idea, but just what I've understood, having lived here for this long.

both children are in my thoughts and payers.

Re: Help If You Are Able
 

This is a very touching story. The good news is that Sick Kids is a top facility and the child will be well cared for there.

The cost of the operation is outrageous. How is one family expected to raise that sort of money? Sunnie is right - the government should step in.

I'll be glad to help out. Thanks for the info.

Re: Help If You Are Able
 

Sunnie his mother is a humble woman, she literally came to us as if she was asking for us to but candy for a fund raiser, she had a paper written by hand by a QEH social worker stating the condition and the cost with a picture of her son attached.

All I can say is that there seems to be a great imbalance in BB, and these children are the future.

Thank you for your kind words...

Re: Help If You Are Able
 

yes there is a great imbalance. The family of this other child has been through some seriously rough times.. and unless the Govt agree to pay, he would still be lying in QEH, not being looked after, not having quality medical care and no one to help do anything (when he left QEH he had bed sores because the nurses wouldn't turn him while family was visiting, then didn't turn him any other time) The family pure and simple can't afford where they are now but when enough people make enough phone calls somehow it got done.

Your friend really needs to get someone of substances on her side and get this child to Sick Kids and get this operation done.

I cannot imagine what will happen if I or anyone of my family ever needs major surgery here. it's sad. and someone just help a "make a difference today" drive at QEH to Paint the corridors , but what they really need is an transfusion of the brain and to rethink what is really important. Get the place cleaned up, train the staff, make sure people get 'Quality" medical care. Trust me.. we ARE NOT a 3rd world country in many things .. our infrastructure is by leaps and bounds over many 3rd world countries, but our hospitals and medical care is seriously lacking. one problem is the cost is free to every Barbadian. I could go to the doctor for free, but choose to pay instead of waiting for 8hours at a polyclinic.

Re: Help If You Are Able
 

ITA the 3rd World moniker is a crutch, if you MP is driving a BMW, sorry but you are not 3rd World!

Re: Help If You Are Able
 

I would suggest you try to find some of the senior level people at Sick Kids and send them emails/letters to plead the case. These people would likely be able to make the call in regards to reducing or eliminating the cost.

I found an organizational chart which should help you get started:

http://www.sickkids.ca/AboutHSC/sect...hart&ssID=8005

Sometimes it helps to go right to the top to get something resolved quickly.

Hope that helps

Re: Help If You Are Able
 

This I believe is the problem:

http://www.sickkids.ca/international...+Fund&sID=9303

Kerwyn has already turned 14 which disqualifies him from funding.

Thanks though.

Re: Help If You Are Able
 

This comment has upset my sense of fact. You should rent a movie called The Last King of Scotland and tell me what car Idi Amin is driving and then tell me if that was a 1st world country.

Re: Help If You Are Able
 

unfortunately I think what you find in very poor, seriously 3rd world countries is that the dictators and those the "rule the country" are the ones with all the money.. the DO drive the big fancy cars and the little people watch and dream that one day that could be them.

In Barbados, driving a status car is part of what people feel to be important.. just like having not only 1 college/university degree but having multiple. What makes Barbados so much less a 3rd world country is the infrastructure.. our phone system, electrical system, water, sewage.. we function as many large sparling cities do in the US and Canada. Our people really are not starving (really) and people can find work (if they are willing to look and actually work).

but there are many aspects that cause us not to be 1st world. One being the disparity between the have's and have nots when it comes to simple things like medical care. it's free, and because it's free it's over subscribed and under funded (cause if it's free, who is going to pay for the hospital and the doctors.. the government.. and where are they going to get the money.. from taxes.. )..

Anyway.. I'm not an economist nor a politico but if the government has said .. if you can't get this surgery here, we will pay.. then they need to get off their you know what and pay.. or at least help.

every year there are at least 2 or 3 stories like these 2 boys that appear .. and likely more as I just may not see it. I have friends that go to the hospital to volunteer every week, and they are amazed at what is NOT being done at the QEH to give these children quality medical care and attention. I don't go because it's not one of those "charity" thing I do.. I'd end up crying the whole time.

(coming off my soap box now).

one more thing.. just to add my 2 cents.. recently the King of Ghana came to Barbados and received an honorary law degree from UWI..(for his tireless work in support of the development and survival of African Universities) but the money on his trip and all the other people who came with him, could have been better utilized to do better works in his home country.. but then his status symbol wouldn't shine so brite.