A Rose Hall champion cyclist is bedridden with a life-threatening illness which could be cancerous and her family is awaiting a test result in order to determine the way forward for their young child.
A three-time junior gold medal cycling champion for the Lower Corentyne Secondary School, Beyonce Ross, 15, of Lot 389 Rose Hall Town, Corentyne fell sick in early February.
According to the teen’s mother, Yonette Clarke, 48, her daughter began experiencing headaches and other symptoms, which led her to rush the teenager to the Port Mourant Hospital and later the New Amsterdam Public Hospital.
However, she said both hospitals treated the teen for a stomach ache and ulcer as her symptoms supposedly matched that diagnosis.
Clarke said that after realizing that her daughter’s condition was deteriorating, she took her to a private doctor in Georgetown, who eventually ordered a MRI scan.
It was the results of the MRI scan that confirmed to Clarke that her daughter had a tumour in the “middle part of her brain…The brain had a buildup of fluid and all of that, so he referred us to (neurosurgeon) Dr. (Amarnauth) Dukhi”, she said.
At this point, all Clarke wants is the best medical treatment possible for her daughter and she is willing to try all avenues to get just that.
The woman said she met with Dr. Dukhi who added the girl to his clinic at the Georgetown Public Hospital. “Because of her condition and the state she was in he requested an operation to help to drain the fluid that’s building up in her brain, so he put a shunt in her brain right now, that’s draining the fluid from the brain to her abdomen”.
Beyonce underwent her first operation on April 13, after which she spent some six days at the Georgetown Public Hospital.
Clarke relayed, that after the operation her daughter’s condition improved “a little”.
Dr. Dukhi then referred Ross’s case to a doctor visiting from Jamaica who recommended that a biopsy be done. “Dr. (Ivan) Crandon did the biopsy (two) Wednesdays ago, Dr. Dukhi had indicated to us that where the tumour is located it is in a critical spot in the centre of the brain”.
Beyonce has spent a total of twenty days at the Georgetown Public Hospital since falling ill.
The family is now awaiting the results of the biopsy to finally know whether Ross’s tumour is cancerous or not.
Clarke stated that the family was told that Beyonce would have to undergo surgery to remove the tumour whether it is cancerous or not. “The surgery cannot be done in Guyana that was indicated by the doctors but they haven’t given us any place where it can be done as yet, we will take it from there … after we get the results”.
While Clarke’s main goal is the “best health care” for her daughter, she does understand that it would be a financial strain for her family, as such she is welcoming help from persons. She can be contacted on telephone numbers 337 4456 or 683 6106.
Meanwhile, Clarke also explained, that they are taking all care of Beyonce since she is bedridden.
Clarke’s husband, Keith Ross, 58, relayed, that they would have to use public transportation whenever they would have to take young Ross to the hospital. “She does be exhausted be time we reach there”, he said.
With the dream of becoming a teacher one day, Beyonce was very active in sports, as she has placed in the top position for four consecutive years in cycling.
With three gold medals under her belt, the teenager who was in the business stream is visited every day by her classmates and teachers of her school which is located a stone’s throw away from her house.
