Another heart patient gets financial assistance

Feb 08, 2010 News

ROSE HALL TOWN, CORENTYNE – Linden Mason, a 13-year old J.C. Chandisingh Secondary School student must undergo open heart surgery and is in dire need of financial assistance.

The boy’s foster mother, Brenda Hunte, said her family cannot raise the required amount all alone.

“It is too much for us to get. We have to raise US$5,000 for the hospital and US$1,600 for the passage (airfare). I am trying to see what we can do but we still need help.”

Dr. Ramesh Sugrim (left) hands over the cheque to Linden Mason.

According to her, the lad experiences poor health and is seriously affected on a monthly basis.

“There is damage to the mitral valve and the aortic valve is weak, and due to this, the blood is not being distributed through the body as it should be. He gets sick frequently, when this happens he gets weak, he walks with a stagger, he becomes pale and sometimes he gasps for breath.”

Ms. Hunte explained that the condition was diagnosed after she gained custody of the child. “He was about seven-years old at that time and he was always weak, pale and he was looking like if he always had jaundice. So I took him to a doctor and he was treated. It continued and each time he got sick I would take him to the doctor but it was last year that he was diagnosed. He will die if he does not get the surgery.”

She is appealing to the altruistic nature of persons both at home in Guyana and abroad to assist in the drive to save little Linden Mason.

“Seeing that he is young, please help him to reach his potential and to fulfil what God brought him in this world for. He is a child and has a bright future but can only see that future if you give your money generously to ensure that he has the open heart surgery he badly needs.”

On Friday, the New Jersey Arya Samaj Humanitarian Mission, through the Head of its Guyana Chapter, Dr. Ramesh Sugrim, contributed a $100,000 cheque. This took the acquired amount thus far to $198,000.

A document from the Guyana Watch Inc., on December 18th, 2009, indicated that the lad was accepted for open heart surgery at the Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital at Westchester Medical Center at Valhalla, New York. The procedure is expected to be performed in January/February 2010 at a cost of some US$80,000. However, since it would jointly be financed by the Guyana Watch and the hospital, the family must find a net based fee of US$10,000 which must be paid before the surgical procedure is done.

“We still need more than US$4,000. The Ministry of Health is giving us US$5,000.”

Head of the New Jersey Arya Samaj Humanitarian Mission Pandit Suresh Sugrim, from New Jersey, during a telephone interview said that his group is committed to offering hope for those in need.

“As we try to help our brothers and sisters who are down due to poor health, I ask you the public to reflect on all the blessings you would have received whether they were big or small and be thankful for them. Despite the global economic downturn which has impacted on each of our lives in measurable ways, it is important to realise just how much we still have to be thankful for. We human beings have been blessed in so many ways yet we take much of what we have for granted.”

A document dated September 22nd, 2009, from the Internal Medicine Department of the Georgetown Public Hospital and signed by the Medical Officer of the said department, Dr. K. Bemaul, stated that an echocardiogram which was done on Linden Mason revealed that the left ventricle is dilated and there is aortic and mitral regurgitation. He was therefore referred for mitral valve repair or replacement, outside of Guyana.