– parents plead for assistance
A five-month-old baby is in dire need of a liver transplant after being diagnosed with liver disease in January 2017 by medical officials at the Georgetown Public Hospital.
Her relatives are calling on members of the public to provide financial donations towards her treatment, which can only be done abroad.
The baby, Zendya Kassim was initially admitted to the Hospital’s Paediatric Ward on December 16, 2016 by her parents, Zoelesia Shuman-Kassim and Sameer Kassim of Lot 372 Diamond New Scheme, East Bank Demerara.
“On admission, the parents referred that the infant was becoming increasingly jaundiced for approximately two months. Other complaints included one episode of fever hours before visit to the hospital and dark yellow urine,” the medical report dated January 24, 2017 from the Hospital stated.
According to the report, after a physical examination was conducted, “findings on admission included severe jaundice and a globulus abdomen”.
The baby was then admitted to undergo treatment which included intravenous fluids, and medication. She also underwent laboratory investigations including complete blood count, liver and kidney function tests; Hepatitis A, B, and C tests; TORCH screen; blood culture and an abdominal ultra-sonogram (USG).
“The laboratory findings included anaemia, leucocytosis, thrombocytosis and elevated liver enzymes. The abdominal USG revealed hepatomegaly and a contracted gall bladder. The toxoplasmosis was non-reactive and the Hepatitis panel was negative,” the medical document stated.
At that time, the results for the other tests were pending and so the infant was discharged from the Hospital on December 20, 2016, with her next visit scheduled for the following week.
Upon that visit, another abdominal USG was conducted and the findings revealed “hepatomegaly, a well-distended gall bladder and a normal gall bladder wall thickness. The coagulation profile showed elevated INR (1.5), prothrombin (17.8) and partial thromboplastin time (4.4).”
Additionally, “the patient was evaluated by the Paediatric Surgery doctors upon request by the paediatric medial team and the decision was made to plan for a CT scan of the abdomen and correct the coagulopathy. The patient was clinically stable and was scheduled for admission the following week to execute the previously mentioned plan.”
On January 4, 2017, little Zendaya was re-admitted to the Paediatric Ward and the CT scan of the abdomen with IV Contrast was conducted. However, it was the CT scan, which was re-conducted on January 6, 2017, that disclosed “multiple intra-hepatic cysts along the biliary radicles at the hepatic hilum. Type V choledochal cyst (Todani classification) with associated biliary atresia.”
The child’s parents were then informed of the need to have a liver transplant done on their child. They were further advised that liver transplant and related services are presently not offered in Guyana and they would need to seek medical attention for their five-month-old daughter overseas.
The cost of the transplant is estimated to be approximately $10 million. Anyone who would like to assist this family in saving the life of five-month-old Zendaya Kassim is asked to contact her parents on telephone numbers: 592-602-6268, 592-695-1189 and 592-216-1795. (Ramona Luthi)
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