The prayer of a mother to see her daughter walk normally is soon to be realised following an intervention by a US-based Guyanese through a Guyanese US-based chapter in Georgia.
Overseas based Guyanese Dr Slater Jeffery has stepped forward to champion the cause of 15-year-old Shebena Belle, who was born with a disability that has prevented her from walking properly.
Giving an insight into the project, Dr Jeffery disclosed that in 2016 he was visiting Guyana on a mission to secure pigeon peas seeds. During his visit to Bare Root, East Coast Demerara, while visiting a farm he had an accidental meeting with Shebena.
Having undergone a heart transplant, he decided this year to make a meaningful contribution to the life of Shebena Belle, as he recognised he was privileged to be alive. He said he wanted to contribute to someone’s life in an equally meaningful way.
Dr Jeffery has said that since arriving in Guyana, he and the Belle family have met on several occasions, with both the Orthopaedic (bone specialist) surgeon and Health and Educational Relief (HERO) officials to decide on the best way for the surgery.
He disclosed that the visiting surgeon is Dr Claude B. Scott, noting that the local surgeon would be Dr A. Watson, who is the Orthopaedic surgeon at GPHC.
It was pointed out that for Shebana to have the surgery done successfully, a number of specialised tools would be needed, which the GPHC did not have. Dr Jeffery said he and the team have already secured the equipment, which includes a CR machine which costs some US$40,000. He assured the family that regardless of what it takes, he is prepared and committed to ensure that young Shebena would be able to benefit from the surgery.
He revealed that the Bladen Hall Multilateral third former was assured that the surgery would be done in Guyana and would take place in March 2019.
Dr Jeffery declared that a team of persons would be in Guyana to ensure that the surgery is completed adding that they are currently working on securing the expenses needed for the equipment. He noted that the equipment would be donated to the GPHC, thus making it easy for other persons plagued with similar challenges to have same surgically corrected. He said that he is happy that they would be giving the machine to the hospital, noting that after visiting the hospital he was made aware that at least 100 persons are in need of similar surgeries.
Expressing confidence that Shebana would walk normally after the surgery, the visiting US based Guyanese said that the team of doctors that would be working on Shebana are experts who have had a very long history of performing such successful surgeries.
