Chayanne Parboo, the three-year-old girl from the Pomeroon district who departed Guyana for the United States on February 3 to seek medical attention for leukemia, may be returning home in time for Christmas as her cancer is said to be in remission.
Saving Hands Emergency Aid (SHEA) on Friday posted the update on Parboo on their Facebook page. “We are pleased to share that Chayanne’s cancer is in remission. She will be completing her initial treatment phase at the end of September, followed by 8 weeks of a delayed intensification and interim-maintenance phase of treatment, after which she will enter (the) maintenance phase with oral medication. If all goes according to plan, Chayanne should be home in Guyana by Christmas, with follow-up visits to the USA every few months.”
Following her arrival in the US, the child began treatment on February 6.
Parboo was first hospitalised at the Charity Hospital on December 5 and on that evening was transferred to the Suddie Hospital where she spent two days. She was then taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital on December 8.
Following a series of blood tests, it was discovered that the child had severely low platelet and haemoglobin counts and abnormally high levels of white blood cells, causing doctors to suspect that she was suffering from leukemia. A subsequent biopsy would show that she indeed had the cancer which was confirmed in the US after a full medical review was done there.
SHEA had stepped in on January 13 to assist the family in raising funds to take Parboo for treatment abroad.
Her treatment was expected to last for approximately two years but with Chayanne’s cancer in remission, she may spend less than a year abroad, but returning every few months for checkups.
Individuals or companies wishing to donate to Chayanne Parboo can do so online via the SHEA website or Demerara Bank. Deposits can be made to Lori Narine via account number 006002041325.
SHEA is a humanitarian organisation that provides financial assistance and coordinates free or low cost treatment to address the emergency medical needs of individuals in impoverished countries. It has provided access to medical resources to children in Guyana and the Caribbean and has so far assisted 15 patients, many of whom would not have survived without its intervention.
