Boy with brain tumour recovering after surgery

Twelve-year-old Clinton Warde Jr of Paradise, West Coast Berbice is recovering from successful surgery for a brain tumour in Canada and is thankful that his wish for good health in 2011 has been granted. The New Year would also bring happiness to his family knowing that the child’s pain and distress are over. The surgery was performed on August 12 at the Sick Kids Hospital in Toronto, and five days later he was discharged. He is still in Canada while his mother, Shaundell Warde, who accompanied him has returned. She recounted that the surgery, which was complicated, took four hours and all along she kept praying for it to be a success. Her son had the willpower to get better and was able to “get up and walk again within three days.” He has also started to “move around and help himself.” He still has to “take it easy” though, and is undergoing after-care treatment three days per week.

A CT scan done at the Woodlands Hospital had revealed that “a mass is compressing the brain and the tumour is rising on the right ventricle.” He had suffered continuous headaches and discomfort and was having difficulties with his vision. The surgery had resulted in his eyes being affected but with the further treatment, the eyes have improved significantly. He still needs to remain in Canada a little longer for the doctors to monitor his progress.

The hardest part for Shaundell, a teacher at Belladrum Secondary School was saying goodbye to her son. She said he was very sad when it was time for her to leave Canada, “but he had the understanding.”According to her, “It was a very hard to leave him but I was coming to reunite with my four other children…” Besides, she was granted no-pay leave for 102 days and has her commitment to work and the Cyril Potter College of Education, where she is a student. Clinton has been left in the care of Shaundell’s sister, Ivorine Hamer and her husband, Ryan Hamer, who made all the arrangements to get the boy admitted to the hospital. Shaundell was grateful that she has her sister and brother-in-law to take care of him.

Clinton continues to pray every day that God would help him in his recovery process and was “glad that he can face 2011 in better health.” One thing is for sure: “He has no more agonizing pain…” His mother was also happy that because his condition had so improved, he has a chance “to excel again.”

In February 2010, when Clinton learnt of his condition he was devastated. At the time he was a first form student at President’s College and his performance was excellent. He had won the Principal’s award for achieving 86% in the first term and saw himself doing even better. After his condition started to deteriorate he felt that he would never be able to achieve his dreams of becoming a doctor.

His parents, Clinton Sr and Shaundell are grateful for the “great job” the doctors and nurses did at the Sick Kids Hospital and to persons who “continued to pray for his safe return and for his treatment to be completed.” They also thanked everyone who contributed financially, including through his account number that was published in this newspaper, as well as to the Ministry of Health for donating US$5,000.The surgery cost US$65,000 and Shaundell’s sister and brother-in-law managed to get funding agencies in Canada to contribute.