Help available for child with skin defect

Sep 03, 2008 News

Help may soon be made available to five-year-old Sasha-Devi Bharat whose rare skin infliction plight was highlighted in this newspaper about one month ago.

Sasha-Devi with her parents during an earlier interview with this newspaper

According to father of the child, Ganga Bharat, following the report of the child’s predicament, several persons showed their concern and were willing to help in any way possible.
Among those, he said, was one individual who informed him that there is available treatment for persons plagued with the skin defect called Ichtyyosis, which is said to be transmitted genetically.
The disease manifests as what is referred to as ‘retained keratin’ in large brown scales that lift at the periphery, a situation which is evident by the flaking of the skin in a scaly fashion.
Ganga explained that the concerned individual informed him that there is an Ichtyyosis Foundation in the United States of America that could provide the relevant treatment to his daughter in the form of a lotion.
However, he was cautioned not to expect any miracles since the treatment is not a cure but can restore the child’s skin once it is applied throughout the rest of her life.
Satisfied to settle for anything to improve his daughter’s life, Ganga said that he accepted the guidance on how to go about getting the treatment.
An application was made to the United States Embassy to facilitate the process, Ganga said, pointing out that only one more document is required before the travel arrangements can be made.
He is optimistic that Sasha-Devi will be able to secure the necessary treatment before the end of the year and thus be able to live a normal life like any other child.
Ganga and his wife Jennifer only a few months ago learnt that their child was inflicted with a skin problem although she experienced breakouts on her skin since she was a baby, suggesting that something was wrong.
The child was taken to several doctors over the years, Bharat said, who could not ascertain what the problem was.
And since there was no treatment afforded the child, the couple were forced to keep her away from school since the other children would tease her or even be hostile towards her because of the condition.
Earlier this year Ganga said that the child’s condition worsened. He recounted that she had to be taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) following severe vomiting and diarrhoea spells.
And it was while the child was admitted at the hospital, according to Bharat, that she was examined by a Cuban doctor.
He said that the doctor took over the case and opted to carry out a skin biopsy along with some blood tests on the child after which he diagnosed the disease.
Bharat said that the doctor revealed that about one in every 600,000 persons contract the disease, even as he disclosed that it is most often affects adults.
The doctor also informed the couple that there is no cure for the disease but advised them that the child’s life could be prolonged if she was able to live continuously in a cool environment.
As such it was suggested that the child either migrate to a cooler country or that her parents find a specially air-conditioned room for her.
Armed with a letter from the doctor at the GPHC, the couple visited the Ministry of Health last month seeking assistance to help prolong their daughter’s life.
And since the Ministry can only offer financial help, officials there were willing to provide them with a letter of recommendation to help them find the necessary assistance.
They had related that their initial move was to make a request to the Canadian Embassy to see if the child would be allowed a one or two-year visa to see if the climate there could appease the problem but noted that they will also be seeking the assistance of the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security in order to create the recommended environment for the child should the visa acquisition plan fall through.
However, instead of now making plans to travel to Canada or even to create the feasible environment, the concerned couple are counting the days down to when the way will be cleared for their daughter to travel to seek the much needed treatment.
In the meantime, Ganga said that he is relying on the financial assistance of concerned individuals to see the process through.
Persons wishing to render assistance can contact Ganga on telephone number 662-9763.