Ma Pau supports testicular cancer patient, 32

FORMER Miss Universe and current Ma Pau chairman Wendy Fitzwilliam donated $12,500 to cancer patient Blaine Gomes on behalf of the Ma Pau Foundation to help with his $25,000 surgical bill.

In a handing-over ceremony at City Hall Auditorium on Knox Street, Port of Spain, on Tuesday, Gomes, 32, a mechanic and father of one, expressed his gratitude for the funds.

"In February of this year, I was in a lot of pain in my testicles and stomach and started experiencing difficulty when walking. I was misdiagnosed by a urologist in Woodbrook, who diagnosed me with some sort of testicular infection. I took two courses of antibiotics, each two weeks long, but there was no improvement. So I just gave up and started to go along with the pain.

"After receiving the misdiagnosis, I went back home and continued working. I operated like everything was normal; I took painkillers. I wasn't thinking it was cancer."

Five months later, he returned to the hospital with abdominal pain, and abnormal cells were observed. He was later diagnosed with stage four testicular cancer after a biopsy.

After receiving the news, Gomes said he started putting measures in place for his daughter.

"She's two, she turns three next week. Whatever assets I have, I started putting them in place for her."

Gomes said the long waiting period at Mt Hope General Hospital forced him to visit a private doctor at Medical Associates, where, in a matter of days, he began cancer treatment.

"My cancer was so bad that I couldn't do the initial surgery to remove the testicle, because I had problems breathing and respiratory failure. I waited about a month after I started chemotherapy, and I might not have survived that long."

Gomes, a club member of Ma Pau, learned about the foundation through a friend of his mother, who urged him to reach out.

He said his mother's friend "told me they help people, especially in my position – I had already blown through my savings. My sister started the process because I was in the hospital. There were a lot of ups and downs, paperwork and documents: they needed proof and understandably so, because there are a lot of scammers out here."

Gomes has further surgery scheduled for the upcoming week and two more rounds of chemotherapy to do afterwards. He is hopeful that by Christmas, he will be in the clear.

"I have to do a next CT scan and bloodwork to know if I have more chemo or if I have beaten the cancer."

He is keeping a positive outlook and looking forward to spending the Christmas season with his daughter, Zoe. He said he would also like to return to work as soon as possible, as he estimates he has already spent $300,000 on medical bills.

"I still have rent to pay, I still have a family to provide for, and I still have all these other bills besides the medical bills. I've been getting help from family members.
"The public system is overwhelmed right now. One dose of chemotherapy was $11,000 plus all the bloodwork, medical fees and the stay in the hospital, because I was critical when I first went in."

He urged men to pay attention to their bodies and do regular check-ups.

"This affects young men between the ages of 18 and 40; don't be ashamed, go and check yourself and be sure to get a good opinion on these things before you end up like me."

Fitzwilliams, who spoke with Newsday after the handover, said she had been the chairman for Ma Pau over the past year and three months. She said the selection process focused on the community, which includes its clients and customers.

"We give a lot to children's organisations, particularly sports entities, but we also take care of our community."

Fitzwilliams said Gomes's story had a profound impact on her.

"You'd have to be inhumane not to be moved by his story.

"I'm very positive he will beat this. He's a tough one, and it's a fight he's up to."
Fitzwilliams also shared her own personal story about a close friend who died after her own battle with cancer, emphasising the challenge of living with cancer.

Fitzwilliams believes Gomes's positive attitude, kindness and determination will help him beat cancer.

"He will enjoy a cancer-free quality of life again. I mean, that is what I really hope for him. He is determined and focused."

She said Ma Pau was proud to support Gomes.