TWO-YEAR-OLD Omkar Persaud of Cummings Lodge, East Coast Demerara, the child stricken with cancer in the left eye, was on Thursday winged out to Cuba where he is to have advanced eye surgery to the cancer cells spreading to the right eye.Omkar is accompanied by his mother, Cassandra Persaud. The mother and son departed Cheddi Jagan International Airport on board air carrier ‘Easy Sky’ bound for Cuba around 15:00 hrs, compliments of Chief Executive Officer of Roraima Airways, Captain Gerald Gouveia.

The gesture, which assures the child and his mother free return air travel to and from Cuba, is an extension of Roraima Airways’ continued commitment to the Medical Evacuation Service operated by that entity, Captain Gouveia said.

The infant, the second of two children to his parents, was born with a rare child-hood cancer of the eye, known as Retinoblastoma. It was detected a few months after birth Cassandra said, and on being examined by Dr. Neeraj Jane at the Dr. Balwant Singh Hospital, it was determined that he had cancer of the eye.

Treatment was administered, but by October last the left eye had to be removed because of infection and the right eye was diagnosed with the rare cancer, Persaud told journalists who offered her moral support and prayers in the Roraima Airways Executive Lounge at the CJIA.

With this medical emergency on hand, and on the advice of the ophthalmologist, arrangements were made to have the child flown out to either the US or Cuba to have surgery undertaken.

In the meantime, an appeal was thrown out to the public for help to raise the much-needed funds to finance the child’s surgery.

Attempts to have the child taken to the US did not materialise, but with time being of the essence, it was decided to take him to Cuba.

With God’s grace, the amount needed was realised, through generous donations from compassionate persons, Persaud said.

The major donor was ‘Shea Foundation’ – Saving Hands Emergency Aid Inc (SHEA). Other notable donors included the Ministry of Public Health which gave $1M; and Roraima Airways whch contributed to the air travel. Several other persons also contributed to this worthy cause.

SHEA is a humanitarian organisation that provides financial assistance and coordinates free or low cost treatment to address the emergency medical needs of individuals in impoverished countries.

The organisation which was founded by New York–based Guyanese, Lori Narine has aided several Guyanese and Caribbean nationals. According to Narine, the organisation operates on public donations and was established because of many needs.

Persaud and her family would like to express profound gratitude to SHEA Foundation and all others who so kindly and generously contributed to the noble cause, aimed at the recovery and improvement of her son’s right eye, and moreover, of eradicating the cancer cells which are prone to spreading.

“It’s amazing to know how many Guyanese reached out,” said Captain Gouveia.
But through it all, Omkar, when not experiencing pains, is jovial – attributes which go a long way in keeping his distraught mother buoyed in times of despair.

The mother and child will return home to Guyana via ‘Easy Sky’, a few weeks after the surgery is completed