| Nine-year-old Stephon Welch, although plagued by a rare medical condition which severely affects his ability to breathe,Cheap Soccer Jerseys, has, over the years, been battling to live the life of a normal child. However, Stephon’s ability to breathe properly may never be a reality unless he is afforded a very crucial laser surgery, which cannot be conducted in Guyana.At least,Wholesale Authentic Jerseys, this is according to the child’s mother, Christela DeFreitas, who said that the laser procedure was recommended by doctors at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC). They had been helping to keep her son alive over the years.Disclosing the genesis of Stephon’s plight, DeFreitas said that her boy, who is the third of her four children, had a normal birth and there was nothing to suggest that he would develop a breathing problem.It was not until the child had turned five, DeFreitas recounted, that he developed a hoarseness in his voice, which she did not see as a cause for concern at the time.The sound of Stephon’s voice, the woman said, was so croaky that they thought it was funny, and even tagged him with the nickname ‘Rustoleum’.DeFreitas said that the child’s voice did not change, but his ability to breath properly deteriorated to such an extent that, last year January, she had no choice but to seek medical advice from doctors at the GPHC.At the hospital,Cheap Stitched MLB Jerseys, DeFreitas said, doctors carried out an examination and found that he had a medical problem called laryngeal papilloma. In essence, the doctors explained, Stephon, who was eight years old at the time, had a growth in his throat which was obstructing his vocal cord and hence his ability to breathe.And in order to address the problem, DeFreitas said, the doctors performed a procedure which saw them removing the growth from Stephon’s throat. He was examined at the hospital for a few days before the doctors felt comfortable enough to send him home.DeFreitas said that her son’s condition appeared to improve and that she was tasked with taking him to clinics on a regular basis to have his throat examined.However, it was about three months after the procedure was carried out that Stephon’s condition started to deteriorate once again.The woman said that it was in the wee hours of a March morning last year that her son’s condition worsened, forcing her to rush him to the public hospital.According to her, the doctors rushed Stephon into the theatre and inserted a tracheostomy (a breathing device) into his throat to help him breathe. They later conducted a surgical procedure to remove the growth which had returned in the lad’s throat.After he had healed, the doctors decided to remove the tracheostomy from his throat in hope that the growth would not return and that he would be able to breathe on his own.The growth, however, returned to impacting size in August, causing a repeat of the operation to replace the breathing device, which remains in the lad’s throat even today.DeFreitas said that she has since been cautioned by the doctors to have Stephon undergo a laser operation, since it would be risky for them to operate on his throat continually.They related, too, DeFreitas said, that with the laser procedure there will be a 90 per cent chance that the growth will not return, allowing Stephon to live a normal live.At the moment, the woman said, Stephon, who is a grade four student of the Kuru Kuru Primary School, is unable to attend school when it rains, and cannot be exposed to dusty environments.According to DeFreitas, her son is obligated to have the breathing device attached to his throat 24 hours a day. She added that the lad cannot vocally express himself without covering the device through which he breathes, coughs and sneezes.She related that Stephon experiences occasional pains in his chest,China Jerseys Cheap, but otherwise he is physically healthy. He eats and drinks as any other healthy nine-year-old should.And while the laser operation seems to be the answer to Stephon’s problem, DeFreitas related,Cheap NFL Jerseys, it has so far been quite a challenge to even find a hospital to conduct the procedure, which cannot be done locally.She said that even the Ministry of Health, which has offered to render financial assistance, has failed to locate a health facility in Trinidad which could afford the child the operation. DeFreitas said that she and her family have been tasked with finding a facility which could undertake the operation.The woman said that she would be grateful if anyone with information about a facility which could offer Stephon the much-needed laser treatment could contact her at her Lot 12 Kuru Kuru,Authentic NHL Jerseys, Soesdyke/Linden Highway home, or on telephone numbers: 261-5622, 625-5587, 651-0635.Based on the estimation of one doctor, DeFreitas said, the operation is likely to cost about US$200,000. She is appealing to concerned members of the public for any financial assistance they could possibly give. |
