Mother seeks Help for sick baby

“PLEASE someone help save my baby,” cried Shakuntala Ramsaroop as she spoke to Newsday about her one-year-old son Arun who needs urgent surgery to remove a lump on the right side of his neck, which is endangering his very life.

Baby Arun is suffering from a disease called Cystic Hygro-ma, which is a moist lump caused by a mass of enlarged lymphatics, a system which secretes colourless fluid containing white blood cells. According to US medical research, one in 12,000 babies suffer from this disease which starts to develop at about 40 days after conception due to the failure of the embryonic lymphatics to connect with the venous (vein) systems. The lymphatics become dilated and continue to grow, forming lumps containing fluid. These lumps are most commonly found in the neck area. An oversized lump may extend into the face, mouth, tongue, parotid, larynx or chest. This can cause upper airway obstruction, hemorrhage and even infection. The only method of containment of the growth is surgery.

A weeping Shakuntala told Newsday that when Arun was born, she was told by doctors surgery could not be carried out until he was two-years-old. But the lump started to grow even before he turned one. “Right now the lump is infected and causes Arun to get very high fevers. He is in a lot of pain and the fever seems to be uncontrollable since everything we tried does not work. I am so stressed out because I do not like to see my baby in pain. He is constantly crying and I feel so terrible knowing that whatever I do, the pain would not go away,” Shakuntala cried as the tears fell. She added that presently, the nerves in Arun’s neck were stretched and that he needs to have surgery, according to doctors, or it will affect the movement of his shoulders, impede his speech and eventually cause brain damage.

The cost of the surgery is approximately $65,000, which Arun’s family is struggling to raise. “Right now I am doing everything I can to get the money for my son’s surgery. Everybody we have approached promised to help but their words are not materialising,” she cried. “Please, I am begging the public, have a heart this Christmas.” Anyone wishing to make a donation for baby Arun’s surgery can contact his parents Shakuntala and Amarnath Ramsaroop at 663-6815 or 680-5176.