Plea for help for kidney patient
An urgent cry for help has come from the male medical ward of the Milton Cato Memorial Hospital.{{more}}
The cry comes from 42-year-old Kenvert Cyrus of Mt. Bentinck, Georgetown, who is suffering from End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD). This means that his kidneys are not functioning at the level that they are supposed to, due to shrinkage.
In an interview with SEARCHLIGHT on Monday, Cyrus said that he first saw symptoms on April 12, 2009.
At first, Cyrus underwent peritoneal dialysis to clean his blood, but he is no longer able to do this as he picked up an infection in the tube used for peritoneal dialysis, and it cannot be replaced at the moment. He now has to do hemodialysis, which is more costly and requires him to go to Trinidad where he would have the procedure three times a week.
Cyrus said, except for a small fund-raiser put on for him by community members and students and staff of the Sandy Bay Government School where he is a teacher, he has received no help.
He said that he has been teaching for the past 20 years and is thinking about asking the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Teachers Union (SVGTU) for help. The father of 3-year-old Kelsey and stepfather of 14-year-old Azanie is encouraging the government to get the diagnostic centre, now under construction in Georgetown, up and working. In his view, it will be easier to access and less expensive, given that patients would not have to go out of the country for treatment. He also said that it would give kidney patients a little more satisfaction.
Hannif Sutherland, a friend of Cyrus, said that he is doing all that he can to make sure that Cyrusâ quality of life is bearable. He has set up a website: www.kennycyrus.com to raise awareness about Cyrusâ plight and to help to raise funds. He has also started a Facebook campaign and will be setting up a blog which Kenvert will be able to update.
Anyone wishing to donate to this cause can do so through an NCB account #1101997, or by contacting Kenvert or his fiancé, Annis Lavia at 527-6225 and 532-7904, respectively.
Help can also be given through the headteacher of the Sandy Bay Government School at 455-1780.
Cyrus, Lavia and Sutherland are hoping that this urgent plea will soon result in empathy and support from the general public in any way possible. (DC)
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