Medical diagnosis brings relief for paraplegic brothers, caregiver
Published:Wednesday | June 12, 2024 | 12:10 AMBarbara Gayle/Gleaner Writer
Cynthia Brivit is breathing a sigh of relief after two paraplegic brothers she cares for in Clifton, St Catherine, have been diagnosed with a hereditary condition and are set to start receiving treatment shortly.
Days after being featured in a Sunday Gleaner article, 15-year-old Amari Carby and 10-year-old Kemoy Allen were transported to the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI) in St Andrew, where they were assessed and diagnosed with muscular dystrophy – a group of diseases that cause progressive weakness and loss of muscle mass. They are scheduled to start treatment at various clinics at the hospital this month.
The boys were reportedly very active several years ago but were rendered paraplegic months apart.
Brivit, the assistant leader of the community service department at the Clifton Seventh-day Adventist Church, who volunteers to care for the boys and takes them to church, said she is happy that they will now get medical intervention to make their lives more comfortable.
“Since the article was published about the boys, some help has been coming in for the them, but much more needs to be done for them, especially in relation to proper nutrition for them and other basic needs,” Brivit told The Gleaner yesterday.
She said that the Child Protection and Family Services Agency was the first organisation to reach out to the boys and assess them. They were next visited by a representative from the Ministry of Education. Food for the Poor has also offered to assist the boys.
On Labour Day, police personnel from the Community Safety and Security Branch of the St Catherine South Division delivered a package to the boys in keeping with the day’s focus of assisting the elderly and people with disabilities.
“The boys’ mother, Jessica Manning, is grateful for the help her sons are getting because she does not have the means to take adequate care of them,” Brivit said. “Manning loves her children, but most times, you can observe the stress and frustration she is going through because it is a very difficult situation she is facing.”
Brivit is appealing for other companies and individuals to play an active role in the boys’ lives, noting the emotional challenge and financial hurdles to ensure that they get the proper care they need.
Residents in the rural district were overjoyed when they saw the brothers boarding a bus to the hospital last month.
“The badly needed medical help which those boys need has finally come,” one remarked.
Plans have been put in place for regular follow-up treatments at various clinics at the UHWI.
How you can help
Anyone willing to assist the boys can call Brivit at 876-394-8951 or contact the Clifton Seventh-day Adventist Church.