Christopher Bowman’s tumor worsens

Remember Christopher Bowman? Since the age of ten years he has been living with a rare condition called a bleeding tumor which, as far as we can tell, has only been detected locally on him. Bowman is short by four months of his twenty-fourth birthday. But as that milestone quickly approaches, the bleeding tumor continues to grow putting his life at risk; it has spread from his chest to his spine. Bowman was hospitalized and released over the holidays because there is not much that can be done for him in Belize. We first met Bowman in January 2009, and today News Five Delahnie Bain caught up with him at his home on Ebony Street.

Delahnie Bain, Reporting

He lived to see the new year, but Christopher Bowman and his family are not sure how much longer he will be around if he doesn’t get the assistance he needs to go abroad for surgery. They learnt over the Christmas holidays that his condition has gone from bad to worse.

Odessa Orosco, Mother of Christopher Bowman

odessa orosco

“Dehn tell mi dat how di tumor di spread so rapidly inna ih body dat ih di eat down di bone to ih spine and ih di get Chris paralyzed right. Christopher come out ha hospital di Thursday because Dr. Joel Cervantes come pan di case too right and he explain to me di same thing so he tell me there’s nothing dehn could do fi Chris inna Belize; Chris have to go back to the states.”

Theresita Orosco, Aunt of Christopher Bowman

“Christopher needs help as quick as possible. Christopher is deteriorating very fast. From since last March [2009] he has been back here in Belize and there has been no progress in what he is going through. So we are just appealing to the public to see if they can help us in some way to get Christopher back to America.”

According to Bowman, if he could secure the funds, a team of doctors from two US hospitals will perform the surgery.

christopher bowman

Christopher Bowman, Needs Assistance for Surgery

“First dehn mi seh dah mi wah million but dehn drop it down fi two hundred thousand cause three doctors weh mi deh ova parkland memorial hospital weh I mi admitted fi like three/four days mi start to work pan my case and dehn seh dehn could remove it; dehn could get couple team ah doctors from UT Southwestern and Parkland Hospital wah team up fi do my surgery.”

Odessa Orosco

“I get fi understand dat dehn wah put ha under anesthesia and dehn wah try shrink down di tumor and den afterwards ih gwein into four to five surgeries afterwards right.”

In the meantime, the spreading tumor is causing numerous complications.

Odessa Orosco

“Chris tell me mommy I inna pain, I inna pain, I inna pain I can’t tek it no more. I have to use Florida water and Ice gel fi rub and dah so ih get lee bit ease but later on ih come right back. Ih come right back again because di tumor deh all ova ih body den ih di push up een yah so.”

Theresita Orosco

theresita Orosco

“Christopher is now using a stick to walk with. The tumor that Christopher has is very rare and now it is affecting his memory as well. Christopher’s speech is getting lower, his walking is getting slower.”

Christopher Bowman

“Last night I no even get wah good rest last night. I can’t even breathe. About three times I get up f go use di bathroom and I get short ah breath. I can’t breath good at all cause dis thing di press right front ah my chest section. I have to di rely pan dehn medication until some lot ah people help me—not even di medication help.”

His family now fears the worst, but Bowman says he’s not giving up the fight.

Theresita Orosco

“Because of Christopher deteriorating, I am so afraid that one of these mornings, I will wake up and find him dead inna dat room. We don’t want that; not for one of our loved ones.”

Odessa Orosco

“Di doctors dehn tell me dehn doubt Chris wah live fi si twenty-four and he wah turn twenty-four April coming and I noh want dat mein, I can’t handle dat because Chris daddy dead too right. Dis month wah mek two years since Chris daddy dead and I can’t handle it. I need somebody please—I need somebody, anybody please help mi son.”

Christopher Bowman

“I can’t handle it no more but I noh di worry, I di fight with all I have right now fi get dis ova wit because I can’t deal wit it. I just can’t. I di fight, fight like hell right now fi try get better wit it.”

Delahnie Bain for News Five.

To get more information on Bowman’s condition and the required procedures, contact family friend Emelio Zabaneh at 610-5412. Bowman’s mother and aunt can also be reached at 626-8297 by anyone wishing to assist.