Pandit Suresh Sugrim of the New Jersery Arya Samaj Mandir Humanitarian Mission (NJASMHM) told Stabroek News via email that after reading of the child’s plight in this newspaper he travelled to Canada over the weekend to make the arrangements.
He has applied to the hospital after receiving an email with the medical documents from the child’s mother, Urmilla Luckhoo, 28, on Monday last.
The hospital has already sent a response, acknowledging receipt of the documents and attaching a “Herbie Application Form.” The form has to be completed and returned along with additional documents and photographs of the child by April 23.
Sugrim has also met “another sister organization that is willing to bring him to Canada for the surgery”.
Sugrim said a ‘Good Samaritan’ has contributed US$2,000 to help the child and promised to donate more money “as soon as we get more information,” regarding the surgery.
The NJASMHM has also set aside US$500, while another overseas-based Guyanese has donated US$500 through the organisation.
The money has been deposited at a bank in the organisation’s account and would be handed over to the family as soon as the arrangements are finalised, Sugrim told this newspaper.
He said once the child’s application is approved, arrangements would be made for the boy and his mother to acquire visas to travel to Canada.
The parents’ contact numbers were published in the newspaper and a few persons from overseas made contributions, including Bovindradial Sadhu, $20,000; Rajkumar Arjune, $50,000; as well as two other persons who gave $20,000 each.
Luckhoo said a “Muslim organisation” raised $24,240 at the Canje Ground and the Edinburgh Bible School provided $24,030 while help that came from the Edinburgh community amounted to about $36,000.
She said other persons have also deposited money into an account that was set up at the bank for the child and Poonai’s Pharmacy at Rose Hall also gave a donation. The mother is very grateful for all the help she has received so far.
After an echocardiogram test, Udesh was diagnosed with an enlarged right ventricle as well as dilated right atrium and right ventricle.
A report, signed by Dr Zamara and Dr Bowman stated that the child, a patient of the paediatric clinic at the Georgetown Public Hospital, would require palliative surgery, which is not available in Guyana.
Luckhoo had said that the child was expected to be taken to India for the surgery and the doctors had told her that the entire trip, including airline tickets, hotel accommodation and food would have cost her almost $3 million.
Her husband, Rishie Ragubar, a labourer at the Rose Hall Sugar Estate barely earns enough to take care of his family. The couple has three other children: nine-year-old Deolall, seven-year-old Bhesham, and six-year-old Aditya.
The mother said Udesh had trouble breathing his lips and fingernails were also “getting blue.” She said he would walk a short distance and would get tired and “pant for breath.” At times too “his tongue does burst up and he can’t able eat.”
The child’s account number at Republic Bank is: 752-472-1. Luckhoo can be contacted on telephones numbers: 687-3038 and 690-0016.
