Child with bone cancer needs treatment overseas

DIAGNOSED with a rare form of bone cancer, sevenyear-old Munesh Narayan of Somerset, Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), needs help to go abroad to access specialised treatment unavailable here in Guyana.

Speaking with the Guyana Chronicle on Monday, the child’s father, Anil Narayan, said Munesh was recently diagnosed with Ewing Sarcoma. This rare bone cancer typically affects children and teenagers.

Munesh’s father explained that in January, Munesh began complaining about pain in his foot. He was taken to a hospital in Charity, where the parents were told he had a sprain after conducting an X-ray.

“They did an X-ray, and they told us that it is a sprain, so the doctor said to put ice on it and they gave him

Panadol and that was it for then,” he said.

However, two weeks after that visit to the hospital, Anil said they began to notice stiffness on the child’s thigh, so they took him to another hospital in Suddie, where he was diagnosed with Osteomyelitis and had emergency surgery done.

“So, we decided to take him to another hospital in Suddie… We met with an orthopedic doctor, and he said that it was Osteomyelitis. So, at that point in time, it was mid-January and we did an emergency surgery,” Anil noted.

According to the Mayo Clinic, osteomyelitis is an infection of a bone. Conditions can reach a bone by traveling through the bloodstream or spreading from nearby tissues.

Munesh spent two weeks in Suddie. His parents began to think everything was okay, but a week after he was sent home, the situation got worse.

“After that he spent like two weeks in Suddie, we thought everything was okay and from then things got worse, the swelling was still there… it was not going away,” he related.

After this, his parents decided to take him to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), where they were met with unfortunate news.

“That (at GPHC) is where they did some tests, and we did an MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) and another biopsy, and that is when we got to know that he was diagnosed with Ewing Sarcoma,” he explained.

Anil said the doctor informed him that the technology and advanced treatment needed to assist Munesh are unavailable in Guyana.

Due to this, Munesh’s parents reached out to the Saving Hands Emergency Aid (SHEA) Charity, which accepted the child’s case and is currently working with his medical team to coordinate this lifesaving transfer and treatment.

According to Anil, Munesh was discharged from the GPHC about a week ago, but when the pain gets unbearable for the young child, they will take him to the hospital in Charity.

The boy’s father said they are thankful for the help they receive through SHEA and grateful because every donation, big or small, will make a difference.

SHEA said that due to the severity and urgent nature of Munesh’s condition, he needs immediate treatment, consisting of cancer management and possible amputation of his leg where cancer has been detected.

“Fortunately, Munesh’s case was presented to a team of doctors on a medical mission to Guyana, and they have expressed willingness to assist with treatment in the United States,” the foundation stated on its official website.

However, the team of doctors cannot offer the treatment free of charge and has estimated the cost to be between US$100,000 and US$300,000.

Persons can donate at https://savinghandsemergencyaid.org/muneshnarayan or local bank, Demerara Bank under the name Lori Narine, account number 6002041325 for EFT, select Savings Account at Le Ressouvenir Branch, or VENMO: @SheaCharityGY OR Zelle: shea@sheacharity. org.