Jaheel prepares to fly to Cuba - Funds raised for nine-year-old’s medical procedure

WESTERN BUREAU:

THE EFFORT to raise US$75,000 (J$11 million) to get nine-year-old Jaheel Henry to Cuba to receive treatment for his aplastic anaemia and possible bone marrow transplant is almost complete as the Noah’s Ark Children’s Home (NACH) in Martha Brae, Trelawny, where he is a ward of the state, now has just over US$70,000 of the amount in hand.

The funds already raised came primarily through the efforts of Embracing Orphans, a United States-based non-profit organisation, which has been behind several projects to help local wards of the State in their various self-actualisation goals.

According to Carl Robanske, director of Embracing Orphans, his organisation has been on a relentless drive to secure the funding needed to assist young Jaheel, and to date, their efforts have yielded a substantial part of the US$70,000 secured.

“We have so far raised the funds needed for Shem (Jaheel) to receive treatment and possibly a bone marrow transplant,” said Robanske. “Noah’s Ark Children’s Home and Embracing Orphans together have raised over US$70,000. Dr Tracey Gilbert at Cornwall Regional Hospital has worked exceedingly well to find options outside of the country for his treatment. What he has is what’s called aplastic anaemia. That can’t be treated in Jamaica as there is no specialist for that.”

COLLABORATIVE EFFORT

The collaborative effort to get Jaheel overseas saw the directors of the NACH, Dr David and Jennifer Hixon, and Embracing Orphans raising the funds and the Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA) and the Ministry of Health and Wellness linking up to make the arrangements for the trip to Cuba.

Eric Vassell, the CPFSA’s western regional director, told The Gleaner that most of the arrangements were already in place for Jaheel to depart for Cuba within a few days.

“The monies have been uploaded to the account in Cuba, so we are just waiting on them now and how quickly they can get the air ambulance fare. So within 72 hours, he should be leaving,” said Vassell.

“It is most definitely a good feeling,” added Vassell. “It has been a challenge because we were trying to get him into the National Institute of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Maryland, in the United States, but that did not work out. Now that Dr Gilbert and her team came up with the idea for Cuba, we are getting somewhere. They are trying to see if the operation can go full speed ahead.”