Thirteen-year-old Shakiva Clements, who was diagnosed with bone cancer earlier this year and has since lost her left arm, is back in hospital with collapsed lungs.
This newspaper had featured the Tutorial High School student in its Sunday, October 11, edition detailing her life’s struggles and how she is still optimistic about her future.
Her grandmother Marva Clements told this newspaper yesterday that on Saturday night her granddaughter complained that she had difficulty breathing and was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH). There it was diagnosed that both of her lungs had collapsed and she has been admitted to the High Dependency Unit of the hospital. Stabroek News visited her and the child’s cried uncontrollably throughout the visit.
Shakiva was diagnosed with osteosarcoma earlier this year after she had fractured her arm during a fall. It was the unbearable pain to the arm and the swelling after the cast was removed that resulted in a biopsy being done and cancer was diagnosed. Her arm was amputated May 16 and she has since had three of the required six sessions of chemotherapy which resulted in her losing her hair. Despite all of this, the child was very positive during the interview with this newspaper and had expressed the wish to become a counsellor. Her grandmother had indicated that she was concerned that the child was not counselled before or after her arm was amputated.
Shakiva’s life struggles began when she lost her mother violently at the age of 3. Her mother, Sophia Matthews was shot in the head on July 26, 2005 by her reputed husband. The man, Brian McCollin, then turned the gun on himself committing suicide. It was later reported that Matthews had fled their Timehri home because of physical abuse and was at a relative’s home in the city. McCollin had followed her and after trying without success to talk her into going back home, shot her. Matthews was hospitalized, but died on August 5, 2005.
Shakiva has lived with her grandmother since.
