Help comes for Rhenako

Tenisha Elder is more hopeful after the story of her ten-year-old son, Rhenako Beard, was highlighted in last Sunday’s Newsday.

Elder said offers of assistance have been extended to her although very few were financial. She said many people called to express their support, to tell her they were praying for Rhenako, or to recommend herbalists.

Rhenako fell down at his school, Rose Hill RC Primary, earlier this year and was taken to a private hospital with a pathological fracture in the upper right arm bone. After months of continued swelling near his shoulder, it was eventually determined he had a type of cancer called Osteosarcoma.

The treatment? Chemotherapy, amputation, and more chemo. However, Elder did not want her son to go through life with one arm, especially since his dream was to be a national footballer. So, she did some research and decided that lymph removal surgery would be a better option for Rhenako.

She said companies and organisations have expressed the desire to help with the cost of lymph salvage surgery at the Boston Children’s Hospital but she had to wait for an official acceptance and estimation letter from the hospital, which previously gave her an unofficial estimate of US$250,000.

Elder already organised a fund-raising sports day on November 4 and has “much less than half” the money for the surgery. However, several individuals have contacted Newsday and expressed the desire to begin fund-raising ventures, or contribute their personal funds to help. Despite the positive response, Elder is very anxious about the fate of her son. She said Rhenako started to feel some discomfort in his arm on Sunday, on Monday his arm was jostled by mistake which further aggravated it, and then on Tuesday he rolled on the bed and hit his arm on the bedroom wall.

“That set off everything. He bawl and bawl. He said, ‘God come and take me please and let me go to heaven.’ While he was in pain I asked him, ‘Are you sure you don’t want to take off the hand? The pain would stop.’ He said, ‘No mummy. Don’t ever say that. Don’t let them take off my hand.’ Although he’s in pain he still don’t want to take it off. It’s so hard for me and all to make the decision to do it,” she recounted as she sobbed.

She added that she did not know the end result of her son’s situation so she wanted to give him what he wanted most, which was to go back to school. She hoped he would be able to do so this week after the pain had passed. Anyone wishing to contact Elder could do so at 775-5370.

Health groups offer support

Ophelia Mohammed, president of The Awareness and Restoration Centre, said she intended to bring awareness of Rhenako’s condition and the need to raise money for his surgery to schools, churches, mosques and temples all over the country. She hoped to reach the hearts of parents when they see their children invested in Rhenako’s case. The intention is to set up a commercial account at First Citizens Bank and ask 19,000 people to donate $100 each.

In addition, Mohammed said the organisation usually raised funds to feed children at Christmas with the help of foreign churches. This year, she said most of the funds would go towards Rhenako’s surgery.

Willing to help with Rhenako’s physical and emotional health was Z7 Salscrip Wellness Ltd.

The company’s health coach, Sally Ann Lee-Lung, said she wanted to take Rhenako’s medical records to specialists to decide the best collective treatment for him. “Chemotherapy is a thing of the past. We don’t do that. We would work with the body to help build and boost his immunity to help improve the condition rather than chemotherapy, which is really a poison that’s killing you faster than it’s helping you.”

She said Z7 Salscrip educates and provides access to the latest development in health care with regard to science and medical technology, as well as provide support services to its clients.

Lee-Lung explained that the company educated its clients on the treatment they were getting; tried to improve their morale when they had adverse reactions to treatments; helped them stay in better health for a longer duration; provided the latest treatments in medical technology; advised them on available financial assistance; and worked with insurance companies to cover certain treatments.

It is also aligned with internationally accredited medical boards in Miami, Cuba, Colombia, Boston, which specialised in specific conditions.