“THE treatment was successful”, these were the words expressed by Casandra Persaud, the mother of Omkar Persaud, the two year old who was diagnosed with Retinoblastoma, a rare Eye Cancer more common among infants.Ms. Persaud who seemed upbeat about her son’s successful treatment, shared her experience with Roraima Staff as she disembarked Easy Sky on their return from Cuba. The toddler and his mother departed Guyana to undergo treatment in Cuba on December 15, 2016 in hopes of saving his right eye from the infection after his left eye was removed in 2016 after deterioration brought on by the disease.

Omkar Perasaud and his mother, Casandra returned to Guyana on Friday January 6, 2017 to the warm welcome of the Roraima staff and her family members at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport. The treatment which was estimated at the cost of US$20,000 was made possible through the generosity of Roraima Airways, the Ministry of Public Health and the SHEA Foundation. The remainder of treatment for the toddler will continue in Guyana.

Ms. Persaud expressed her admiration and appreciation to Roraima, the Ministry of Public Health and the SHEA Foundation, who came forward to assist her son, a release from Roraima said. She also hailed Guyana’s Ambassador to Cuba, His Excellency Halim Majeed, who remained supportive throughout the period of her son’s treatment in Cuba.

According to America Cancer Society, “Retinoblastoma is a rare disease, accounting for only 200 to 300 diagnoses each year in the United States. It is more common in infants and very young children than in older children. The average age of children when they are diagnosed is 2. It rarely occurs in children older than 6. About 3 out of 4 children with retinoblastoma have a tumor in only one eye. In about 1 case in 4, both eyes are affected. Retinoblastoma occurs about equally in boys and girls and in different races and ethnicities. It also occurs equally in the right or left eye. Overall, more than 9 out of 10 children with retinoblastoma are cured, but the outlook is not nearly as good if the cancer has spread outside of the eye”.