East Canje Lions club helps teen heart patient

The East Canje Lions Club (ECLC) has helped to make the life of a 15-year-old heart patient of Nurseville Housing Scheme, New Amsterdam more comfortable by providing him with a monetary contribution.

President of the club, Devin Sookraj told Stabroek News that $31,000 was presented to the child, Randy Cameron; a student of Tutorial High School who suffers from a congenital heart defect.

He underwent a successful heart surgery in India last year through former First Lady, Varshnie Jagdeo but his condition still needs to be monitored and he is currently a patient of the Caribbean Heart Institute.

He said Randy’s relatives had approached him after they could not afford the “follow-up heart investigation.”

Following the publication of an article in this newspaper on the ECLC that also contained Sookraj’s phone number, an overseas-based resident contacted him and subsequently sent the money.

President of the New Amsterdam Lions Club, Marlyn La Rose told this newspaper that her club had also made a presentation to the child about two months ago.

She said the Ministry of Health had provided him with $156,000 and his relatives approached the club because they needed $100,000 more.

She said the club was willing to provide $30,000 but was glad to meet the full amount after overseas-based and local residents contributed $50,000 and $20,000 respectively.

An account has since been opened at Scotiabank in NA for persons desirous of assisting the child.
She said too that his grandmother, Neila Cameron related that some of the investigations have been completed and that his “heart-rate was still a bit fast.”
Randy may have to undergo another surgery.
Meanwhile, Sookraj said their humanitarian mission would continue with the handing over of a wheelchair to a resident and a dental clinic.