Little Azari dies months after mom’s surgery plea

Almost five months after Olecia Lawrence appealed for help with a bone-marrow transplant for her infant son, little Azari Brown lost his valiant battle with cancer.

Azari, who turned two in August, died on October 26.

Lawrence is still thankful for the outpouring of kindness from persons touched by their story published in The Gleaner in June. That assistance, she said, had given her a glimmer of hope that Azari might have had the faintest of chances against Stage Four neuroblastoma cancer.

“I got financial assistance, a lot of prayers, words of encouragement, and all those helped,” said Lawrence, who bade Azari goodbye at May Pen Hospital.

The distraught mother said she was a basket case in the days immediately following Azari’s death. Now she is slowly picking up the pieces.

“I’m sad to know that I can’t hold him anymore, to sing to him or play with him. I can’t really explain my feelings. I know he would go, but not so soon,” she said.

Following her initial appeal, Azari’s cancer got even more aggressive, and in early September his lymph nodes became inflamed.

Azari was admitted to the May Pen Hospital after suffering a seizure in October.

The two-year-old spent three weeks in hospital. Lawrence said that word from the doctor to just “comfort him” until he made his transition was like a punch to the gut.

Lawrence, who had been hoping she would have raised enough money to fund the life-saving operation in the United States, said she now has closure, with the knowledge that Azari is finally free from the pain.