Doctor makes desperate appeal for minor patient

Thandeka Moyo-Ndlovu

A Bulawayo doctor is appealing to the public to help raise US$40 000 for her 14-year-old patient to undergo surgery in India.

The patient, Ashley Sibanda from Lobengula West suburb, has a tumour on her mandible which has forced her to drop out of school. Tumours of the mandible are growths that develop most often in the jaw near the molars — the flat teeth at the rear of the mouth.

Dr Vivian Voe, an oral and maxillofacial surgeon, took it upon herself to appeal for funding on behalf of Ashley who dropped out of school while in Form One.

Oral and maxillofacial surgery is a surgical specialty focusing on reconstructive surgery of the face, facial trauma surgery, the oral cavity, head and neck, mouth, and jaws, as well as facial cosmetic surgery/facial plastic surgery including cleft lip and cleft palate

Dr Voe said in a note to Chronicle that it pains her to see Ashley’s future go down the drain due to an illness that can be cured, although there are no local facilities to help Ashley.

She said the cheapest place is in India and after consultations, it had been concluded that Ashley needs at least three months of hospitalisation to be able to recover.

“The above-mentioned is a 14-year-old female with a rapidly growing tumour of the mandible. She has recently dropped from Form One because of the condition. She is appealing for funds to go to India for the reconstruction of the mandible, where there are facilities and where it’s cheapest to do plastic and reconstruction surgery,” said Dr Voe.

“Her single mother is unemployed and now struggling to pay for blood tests and CT scans required by Mpilo Central Hospital Oncology department as she has been referred to private facilities to have them done. At least US$40 000 will be needed for treatment in India and unfortunately, that’s the cheapest quote we could get. I somehow wish for a miracle as I myself cannot help her with that amount. Her story just touched me and I decided to make an appeal as I can tell that the family is already discouraged,” said Dr Voe.

She said the family also could not afford the six cycles of chemotherapy that Ashley needs to do before traveling to India.

“Mpilo Hospital referred Ashley to me so that she could undergo chemotherapy to help reduce the spread of the growth. Since the mother has no money the palliate treatment has not yet started as yet and it’s sad to see the child go through that to the extent of dropping out of school,” added Dr Voe.

“On Ashley’s behalf, I am kindly requesting for financial assistance of any kind so that she goes to India and be treated. We call upon churches, companies, well-wishers and even Go Fund projects to help the family. I am reachable on +263712413681 and her mother is reachable on +263772775185.”