Twenty-year-old Ryan Bynoe, a Youth Challenge Guyana volunteer, is in need of surgery to remove a tumour from his stomach and needs to raise the sum of US$14,000 ($2.8 million) to help to offset the expenses for the surgery in Trinidad and Tobago.
Bynoe’s mother, Mona Bynoe and a few of his friends, including an Australian Youth Challenge volunteer, have raised just over $900,000 to date.
Additionally, the Youth Challenge Guyana peer educators have organised a variety concert featuring a number of top local artistes to be held this weekend to raise the remaining $1.9 million.
Apart from being a peer educator, mentor and HIV tester/ counsellor, Bynoe, is also an assistant scout master with the Marian Academy Scouts Group. He has done voluntary work through Youth Challenge (Guyana) in every administrative region of the country.
The youngest of five children, he has also done some voluntary work with Habitat for Humanity.
In a telephone interview Bynoe told this newspaper that last June he noticed that his “belly was getting big” and became concerned. “I was going to the hospital since September to try to figure out what was wrong. I did the CT scan in November at the St Joseph’s Mercy Hospital in November and that was when the tumour showed up.”
He was diagnosed with a mesenteric tumour measured approximately 36 x 26 x 13 cm last year. The tumour, which his friends have nicknamed ‘Bob’ has already filled his abdomen, causing it to be extended pushing the small intestines to the sides and his stomach upward.
When asked how he was feeling Bynoe said that he was okay except that “Mostly, it is uncomfortable. I feel pains periodically and I can’t eat a lot.” Ryan has lost weight on his arms and legs but his body weight has remained more or less constant because of the constant growth of the tumour, which though not malignant at this stage could prove deadly if it is not removed.
Bynoe was evaluated in Trinidad and Tobago last month and immediate surgery was recommended but the funds were not available. “I need surgery like yesterday. Hopefully it could be done by this month end or early next month,” he said.
“To date, we have raised just over $900,000. My mom has raised the bulk of it. She did this by sending out letters to friends and colleagues mainly in the business community.”
To help Bynoe’s cause, the peer educators have organised a cultural extravaganza to be held on the patio of his alma mater, St Joseph’s High School on Friday, March 16 from 7 pm. Among the performers slated for the evening are Henry Rodney, Jumbie, Malo, Lil Man, Vanilla, First Born, Tenecia De Freitas, Struck Root, Classique among others.
Stabroek News understands that the artistes performing on Friday would be doing so free of cost as their contribution to help Bynoe’s surgery. Though admission is fixed at $500, other donations would be welcome.
Persons who are desirous of making donations could also do so at Republic Bank (Guyana) Acc. No 292-117-9
A Youth Challenge International volunteer from Australia, Leah Chan has also created a blog, www.killbob.blogspot.com where she is also soliciting contributions. Information on the tumour is posted on the blog. Donations on the blog would be closed to the public on March 19. (Miranda La Rose)
