National Schools’ Cycling, Swimming and Track and Field Championships (Nationals) cycling champion, 15-year-old Beyoncé Ross will be laid to rest today after health complications caused her untimely demise. Ross participated in the 2017 Nationals where she performed exceptionally well, winning three gold medals but in less than a four-month period, the Lower Corentyne Secondary School student, was found to have developed a brain tumor.
The young sportswoman had shown signs of vomiting and migraines as early as February but the tumor was discovered in March with its effects worsening rapidly.
Throughout her struggle, the teenager was treated for a stomach virus but upon diagnosis the family desperately tried to gather funds to send the child overseas for treatment.
According to the fourth form student’s mother, Yonette Clarke, the tumor was first said to be non-cancerous and Ross showed some signs of improvement, but matters took a turn for the worse when she fell ill and was rushed to the New Amsterdam Hospital where she fell into a coma before being transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital where she was placed on life support machine after being deemed brain dead.
The champion rider passed away on June 10.
According to Dr. Amarnauth Dukhi, who had performed a surgery on the Rose Hall Town native, Ross had little chance to recover at the stage of which the tumor had developed. Ross will be at her home from 11:00h before moving to the Life Spring Ministry Church at 12:30 for a service, then to the Area H Ground for final viewing and then to the Rose Hall Town Cemetery for burial.
According to Minister of Social Cohesion with responsibility for sports, Dr. George Norton, the teen had the talent to become an Olympic star.
National Cycling coach Hassan Mohammed offered his condolences to the family along with the Berbice Cricket Board, the National Sports Commission and other sporting fraternity as well as the ‘B’ Division police including Superintendent Wayne DeHaarte had offered messages of comfort.
