Online Reporter
Tanaka Nkala and Michelle Musandinyoze
Chronicle Reporters
A 31-year-old mother from Kezi in Matobo District has made a desperate appeal for financial assistance to save the life of her six-year-old son, who has been battling a rare and aggressive form of eye cancer for nearly two years.
Young Nkanyiso Ndlovu was diagnosed with Rhabdomyosarcoma cancer in 2024, leaving his unemployed mother helpless and desperate for financial assistance.
(Before Chemotherapy)
Ms Hloniphani Ndlovu told Chronicle that her son was in urgent need of an MRI Scan, which costs US$750 before proceeding for an operation.
She revealed that the boy’s painful journey began when she noticed unusual swelling around his right eye.
“What began as a minor illness turned into a devastating diagnosis that has left us struggling emotionally and financially,” she said.
According to Ms Ndlovu, she sought medical help from local clinics in Kezi before Nkanyiso was referred to Gwanda Provincial Hospital for further examination.
The doctors in Gwanda later transferred the child to United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH) where specialists conducted several tests and a biopsy.
“The doctors later confirmed that my child has a rare eye cancer,” said Ms Ndlovu.
Rhabdomyosarcoma is a rare cancer that affects soft tissues and muscles, and can spread rapidly if it is not treated early.
(After Chemotherapy)
Following the diagnosis, Nkanyiso was referred to Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals in Harare for specialised treatment, but the trip turned out to be difficult for the already struggling mother.
“At first l did not have money for transport from Bulawayo to Harare,” she said.
“The hospital contacted a social welfare organization that assists children with cancer and they provided us with an ambulance,” she said.
The mother and child stayed in the hospital for nearly three months before doctors began chemotherapy treatment.
After several sessions, Nkanyiso’s condition improved significantly and the cancer appeared to have disappeared.
“We were so happy because after the treatment, the cancer was gone and my child was discharged, however the relief was short lived,” she said.
Shortly after returning to Kezi, Ms Ndlovu Nkanyiso became seriously ill and was unable to continue caring for her son without a stable income and no formal qualifications.
She had no choice but to send Nkanyiso to his remarried father, Hloniphani Moyo.
As the tumor grew, Nkanyiso reportedly endured severe pain and infection, which became horrifying when maggots began appearing in the wound caused by the growth.
“The maggots were coming out of the growth and they were removing them using a stick,” she said emotionally.
Concerned relatives eventually intervened after discovering the child’s deteriorating condition and rushed him back to hospital for urgent medical attention
Nkanyiso resumed his second round of chemotherapy treatment and is scheduled to undergo an operation, which requires him to do an MRI scan to determine the extent of the cancer and plan the procedure.
“We are pleading with members of the public to help us anyway they can and we just want Nkanyiso to be operated on and be able to live a normal life again. Well-wishers can contact them on +263783 026 046,” said Ms Ndlovu.
