A MOTHER of three is pleading for the public’s assistance to cover the cost of radiation for her 15-year-old daughter who was recently diagnosed with a cancerous brain tumor.
Shelly Balkarran told the Sunday Chronicle that her eldest daughter, Shaniece Nanhoe, was diagnosed with Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) which is a rare type of cancer that forms in soft tissue.

After 16 rounds of Chemotherapy failed, the family was told by doctors that she will need $1.3M to begin radiation treatment as no other options are left.
Balkarran noted that her daughter fell ill in July of this year but she thought it was a case of the common cold.
“I suggested that it was just a cold so we watched it for a week; at that time the eye started to get more small, and we saw that there was like a funny look in the eye and after that the jaw started to swell and we thought maybe she has an infection.”
The family visited two Dentists and an Optometrist who all treated the child for an infection with antibiotics but after her condition worsened, she was rushed to the emergency ward where it was later discovered she had a tumor.

The following month, the family travelled to Jamaica where it was discovered that the tumor is cancerous. There, Balkarran noted that her daughter was given one dose of chemotherapy but with limited money the family was unable to continue the treatment.
Balkarran said she reached out to the Cancer foundation here and returned home. The mother noted that her daughter’s body recently began to reject the chemotherapy, forcing her to reach out to the public for assistance.

“Three cycles ago, that is when we realised that the body is rejecting the chemo, that’s why we have no options, the cancer is now attacking her other eye but as a mother I have to try everything and I’m going to fight this.

“We have spent every dime that we had. We had a little help, we had help from family and friends but you know medical is not cheap and that’s why I came out to the public and I’m begging for help…whatever I can get, no matter how little it is I need, I’m not going to let this cancer take my daughter.”
According to the distraught mother, the cancer is moving aggressively and as the tumor grows larger, it breaks the bones in her daughter’s face which means that she will also need facial reconstruction surgery.

Describing her daughter as “a gift from God”, Balkarran said despite her ailment and the tremendous pain, she is “as bright as rainbow” and remains in high spirits.
Anyone wishing to assist the family can make contact with Balkarran on +592- 692- 4045