By Promise Dube
A woman from Lobengula West in Bulawayo is desperately appealing for financial assistance to send her 14-year-old daughter to India for cancer treatment.
Samantha Ndebele needs US$40 000 to take her daughter Ashely Sibanda for reconstructive surgery on her lower jaw after she was diagnosed with Sarcoma, a bone cancer.
So far, she has raised about US$7 000.
Ndebele said her daughter needs immediate surgery as the tumour is fast developing and has the potential to spread to the lungs.
Sibanda was forced to drop out of Inyanda High School this year, where she was in Form One, due to her health.
Ndebele claimed that because Zimbabwe lacked such resources, she urgently required the money so she could leave for India and seek assistance from doctors there.
“I am not employed and in a bad situation. The necessary medical tests are pricey,” the mother begged.
“She was born without this, it started last year in October, and when it was operated on in December, it then developed faster, causing her to drop out of school because the condition was even worse,” said Ndebele.
Ndebele is also pinning hopes on a kind gesture by Radio Zimbabwe, which reportedly promised to do a fundraiser for her daughter.
A medical quote of services in India provided to Sibanda’s mother shows that she may have to spend about 20 to 25 days in India, which will include a detailed evaluation of her condition, chemotherapy and surgical management, but this is dependent on the patient’s recovery.
The medical quote said the approximate cost of evaluation ranges from US$2 500 to US$3 000, chemotherapy per cycle ranges from US$500 to US$2000 while the surgical management is about US$12 700.
These costs may vary by 10 percent and can be high or low depending on the line of treatment.
The cost estimate includes hospital stay for the period mentioned, procedure cost, consumables for the period of hospital stay, investigations for the period of hospital stay, standard diet or meals, medicine for the hospital stay, doctor visits and consultations for the period of stay.
The estimated cost excluded hospital stay after the said period, Covid related investigations and associated treatment, cross consultation if any, ICU stay if required, CT/MRI and Complex lab investigations if required, Comorbidities charges, post-discharge hospital stay and international flight tickets, visa charges, cost of travel.
Those willing to help Sibanda can contact her mother Ndebele at +263 772 775 185, which is also registered on EcoCash.
Her home address is 4224 Lobengula West.
