AT seven months old, Tafari Jacobis from Wisroc, Linden, was diagnosed with a strange heart condition and was in dire need of urgent medical attention.

His family was very much worried about his condition but through support from the government, other donors and fund-raising activities, they were able to raise the $5 million needed for his surgery in Cuba.

The surgery went well and today, Jacobis is now four-years- old and has started nursery school as a proud child of the Wisroc Nursery.

Beaming with joy and much pride, the boys’ mother, Lotoya Jacobis in a recent interview with the Guyana Chronicle, gave an update on his medical condition.
The surgery she said, was indeed a success and little Tafari has been doing well.

“So far so good, the doctors here in Guyana they call for him to go and get checkups,” she said, adding: “I never got back any problems with him; he’s been doing good and he started nursery last Monday. He was very excited and I asked the teacher for an update about him. He’s been doing good so far. He’s interacting as a normal child,” she added.

Jacobis noted that Tafari is scheduled to return to Cuba for a follow-up surgery.

The now four-year-old was first diagnosed in October 2020. His mother in a previous interview said she had first noticed strange symptoms in the child when he was just seven months old.

This prompted her to take him to the hospital to see a paediatrician and she was told that nothing was wrong with him and that he would outgrow the symptoms.

She noted, however, that she observed that her son was showing slow signs of development when he was around nine months old.

It was until after she visited a private clinic he was diagnosed.

Through the help of Region 10 Chairman Deron Adams, the Health Ministry and various fundraisers, the family was able to garner the necessary funds for the surgery.