Five-year-old entertainer loses kidney
A young musician underwent a serious operation this weekend at Universal Health Services to remove one of his kidneys. Five year old Amal Jones has been amazing audiences since he was two, but on Tuesday, doctors detected a large tumour on his right kidney. The news was devastating to the child’s parents, Belizean artists Raymond “Naphty” Jones and Violet “Fahima” Barnett. Fahima says she remains optimistic that her son will return to the stage.
Violet ?Fahima? Barnett, Mother
?At this point, I really do not know and we have to because he blows and he sings. We have to take it one step at a time; one day at a time and I think it won?t affect him that much that he won?t have to do anything musically again. I think he will be able to recover and participate with the one kidney and we got to hope and pray that stays good, right.?
Young Jones was diagnosed with Wilms? tumour, which is a cancerous tumour of the kidney that occurs in young children who are usually born with a defect. Fahima says as far as she knows her son?s birth was normal and the doctors have told her that if her son had any abnormality it?s probably microscopic and difficult to detect. The family says because Amal did not complain or display any symptoms that he may be ill, they were never ware that a tumour was growing inside of him until he fell while running up some stairs. Fahima says that is when Amal started complaining about pains and they felt a lump in her son?s side.
Violet ?Fahima? Barnett
?Nothing, nothing, nothing like that. He never tells anybody. He didn?t feel it. It didn?t hurt. So everything happens for a reason. He was running the stairs–it?s a rule not to run the stairs in our house–but you know kids.?
Seven days later a cat scan revealed that a tumour had engulfed the right kidney. On Saturday, Amal underwent a five hour surgery at Universal Health Services to have it removed. Today UHS?s young patient remains hospitalized.
Violet ?Fahima? Barnett
?I am so thankful that that part is over and now we have to go through the recovery, the therapy and the breathing and a whole lot. I?m learning a whole new series of things behind this tumour of the kidney.?
Fahima says she will remain grateful to UHS, Friends of Paediatrics, Belize Blood Bank, the Karl Huesner Memorial Hospital and all those persons who helped her son get the medical help he needed. The family, however, will need money to get Amal the services he will need to live a normal life.
Violet ?Fahima? Barnett
?We owe the blood bank right now; three bags. So if anybody is out there who would like to donate, he is O-positive, but that doesn?t matter whatever blood type you are because I know that the Blood Bank will welcome your donation.?
Jacqueline Woods for News Five.
Meanwhile any financial donation can be made into Belize Bank account number 2082565 or you can contact the family at telephone numbers 227 ? 4778 or 609 ? 7053.
