What happened to the girl with the face tumor?

On March sixth, we told you the story of twelve year old Catarina Ishim’s battle with a recurring facial tumor. The San Pablo, Toledo  Family told News Five that Catarina has had two surgeries but today she is still fighting for her life. Since News Five aired Catarina’s story, she was subsequently hospitalized at the KHMH, where she has been for over two weeks. A biopsy was ordered and the results were released mid-last week. Catarina has had an outpour of support, so much so that it has caused a hiccup in plans already in motion for the young child to seek medical attention abroad. On Friday, it was circulated in sections of the media that Catarina would be going to the U.S.A sometime this week; however, those reports are conflicting. Today News Five’s Andrea Polanco spoke with the family to get the latest on Catarina:

Juan Ishim, Grandfather

Juan Ishim

“Catarina is in the hospital now, her condition now, her present condition today is that the tumor is getting bigger and bigger. The left eye now it was closed by the tumor. She couldn’t see. Just the tumor, when it the nurse washed it, blood spill out. Catarina is still in the country; she is here in Belize City at the KHMH. We are still waiting. I know that Mr. Elroy Foreman is working with the doctors to find out whom, which organization are willing to help. We are still waiting for help here, patiently. We are just praying. We know that God is above all.”

Via Phone: Elroy Foreman, Assisting the Ishim Family

“In regards to assistance, they have different missions that have expressed assistance and the Heart of Christ Mission, they were the pioneer in providing and coming forward and saying they will assist. Suddenly there was the appearance of Mr. Tim Tom with Word of Works, who went to the States and did some organization with some doctors and he claimed he had everything organized. A couple days went by and he came back and said this thing is serious; it is bigger than what we thought, so out group cannot deal with it. So during that time the Heart of Christ Mission and the other groups had stopped what they were doing based on the information from Mr. Tim Tom. We are back to square one and Heart of Christ Mission is starting all over again trying to get their doctors back organized to assist nuh, can get this little girl out and get the medical assistance that she needs. To explain based on the pathology results we got from the states, it is an active growth she has, an active muscle tumor and they will need to remove the facial bone, nasal bone, and also she might lose one of her eye. So it will be a big facial reconstruction, so there is need for a plastic surgeon.”

Elroy Foreman

Andrea Polanco

“Mr. Foreman, I think what is being suggested is that no help is forthcoming, but I think what people are not understanding is that this is a whole process; Catarina was hospitalized; you guys had requested a biopsy which I believe just got into the hands of the family mid last week. So this is not a one day thing?”

Via Phone: Elroy Foreman

“Yes, definitely. This situation with Catarina is bigger than what anybody could manage. So it is an overall process and we just have to go through the process. So it is not something that we can send her out to one place. And yes, the help has been forthcoming, the public on a whole has been helping and making donations at the bank. The next thing is that the surgery is a three phase process; they will need the surgery, the radiation and the reconstruction. Definitely help has been expressed, but the teams have to make sure they can cover the overall process.”

Andrea Polanco

“Several people have come forward you know trying to help, but really and truly some of them are creating confusion and passing on different messages  and going to the media and  but it is creating stress for the family and also confusion?”

Via Phone: Elroy Foreman

“Yes, Ms. Andrea. For the public to know, I had an in depth discussion with Mr. Ishim and we agree that you are, Ms. Andrea Polanco is the official coordinator of this situation with Catarina. She is in Belize City and she will be liaising with Mr. Juan and me and all decisions and all contacts I think should go to her, so she can coordinate between everybody who wants to help and the different missions; rather than we have this chaos that was created the other day, whereby other people just get involved and not so much in an organized manner and it creates setbacks nuh, and it’s not said in a bad way because everybody wants to help but not in an organized manner.”

Foreman says that the Heritage Bank Account 1211818 remains open for those who wish to make donations. If you’d like to assist the family, you can call Andrea at 601-1174 or Elroy at 670-8576.