— 20 cancer survivors assured of continued treatment, care

By Wendella Davidson

THE Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GT&T), on the occasion of World Cancer Day, observed annually on February 4, has committed $3M to strengthening the Oncology Unit of the Guyana Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).

The sum represents some of the money that was raised during the company’s ‘Pinktober’ calendar of activities that included a massive walk/run cancer awareness march held on October 26, 2019. The ‘Walk’, which started at D’Urban Park and made its way to the Kitty Roundabout and back, was aimed at mobislising funds for cancer-related organisations.
The money will ensure that 20 cancer patients, who can ill afford it, may continue receiving critical treatment and the kind of diagnostic services they require.

At a simple ceremony held at the Corporation’s head office on Brickdam, eight of the 20 patients who were referred to GTT by the GPHC, and were present at the function, were reduced to tears as the announcement was made that payment is assured for them to receive the much-needed treatment. Those persons were: Anna De Morias, 55; Zepherina Gift, 78; Takeram Lachman; Indra Ferreira, 57; Antonette Ifill, 38; Carolyn Carvan, 57; Cecil Williams, 61; and Inez Ault, 59.

World Cancer Day is celebrated internationally every year on February 4, a day set aside to raise awareness of cancer, and to encourage its prevention, detection, and treatment. It is led by the Union for International Cancer Control to support the goals of the World Cancer Declaration, written in 2008.
De Morias, who gave a brief insight into her illness to the media, recalled having to remove her right side breast on October 21, 2008, and by December of the same year, doctors found that her left lung had water in it.

The brave survivor revealed that as time progressed, she began losing weight rapidly, and by the time she caught herself, she weighed a mere 110 pounds. Even the doctors, she recalled, had even given up all hope of her ever surviving. But thanks to family and friends, who stood resolutely by her side, she got the courage to fight on.

Then, in 2009, a chance visit to the Cancer Institute of Guyana revealed that both her lungs were now filled with water, to the point where she found it difficult to sleep at nights, unless she was in a sitting position. **At that stage, she was again referred to the Georgetown Hospital, but opted to go instead to the St Joseph’s Mercy Hospital. But after finding that she could no longer afford to pay the bills, **and realizing that she’d already done nine months of chemotherapy, but by 2015 the cancer returned in the left side breast, she said.

**Returning to the Onocology Department of the GPHC, De Morias said she told the doctors there that she wanted the breast removed. This resulted in her undergoing more chemotherapy in 2015 and 2016.

More bad news was however to follow, when in 2018 the cancer again surfaced, this time in her vagina, and a biopsy revealed that it was at Stage 2.

De Morias said that diagnosis saw her doing international and external radiation which is very costly but she expressed her appreciation to the Government of Guyana for helping her with some funds which allowed her to complete 26 sessions of radiation in Guyana and three weeks in neighbouring Suriname.

Even though she will be receiving treatment, De Morias is thankful that God has given her the strength and courage to endure it all. She expressed gratitude to GTT on behalf of the other beneficiaries and herself.

In an invited comment, GTT’s Pinktober Coordinator, Diana Gittens told the Guyana Chronicle that the allocated funds will allow for the 20 patients who need radiation, one of the most expensive forms of treatment available for the disease, as well as those requiring computerized tomography (CT) scan. By way of a CT, doctors are able to diagnose the cancer and the progress made by the patients.

She noted that because of lack of funding some patients have been waiting for months to have a CT Scan procedure done, and others for radiation therapy. She further stated that for patients to access the treatment, they are required to come up with varying amounts of $300, 000 or $400,000.