Dying toddler gets life saving funds from Charitable Trust

The last time we told you about Baby Daniel Estell he was waiting in a Los Angeles Hospital for his family to come up with funds to pay for a life-saving surgery.  The eight-month old urgently needs a liver transplant and the cost is well over the hundred-thousand-dollar range.  While the family was appealing for financial help, they learned that the surgery was available at a more affordable price at another facility. A sizeable contribution has been made and Baby Daniel is being prepped for the transfer. News Five’s Marion Ali reports.

Marion Ali, Reporting

Baby Daniel and his parents today flew from Los Angeles, California via air ambulance to Colombia, South America where new hope lies for the infant.  The baby spent four months of his life in Los Angeles where his family struggled to come up with the monies for a liver transplant that he needs.  But according to his grandmother, Mel Spain, who spoke with us via phone from their home in San Pedro Town, they decided to make the switch because they didn’t feel they were given the best possible treatment.

Via Phone: Mel Spain, Grandmother of Baby Daniel

“They just keep taking up the prices, taking it down, whenever we get the money together they give us a different price and they told us that if we put the money into the bank and nothing happened we wouldn’t be able to get it back.  So we decided that we need to get out there.”

Spain said the family got wind of a family who was in a similar plight and their story was successful.

Via Phone: Mel Spain

“The baby has to get a transplant but the doctor let us know that your liver grows.  That’s why when they get piece from their mother or their father, they’ll put it to him and that will grow for him and he will get a whole liver.”

But Baby Daniel’s second chance at life came through a donor, the Hayward Charitable Trust.

Via Phone: Mel Spain

“What they were going to do was to send the money to the Los Angeles Hospital and the same thing happened, they said that if they put the money in that hospital they wouldn’t be able to get it back if they hadn’t done anything or whatever, they won’t be able to get back the money.  And this is a foundation in England and they don’t agree with that because it’s a foundation that they have to help who they want to help, not for anybody to do what they want with their money.  They asked for a letter from the hospital in Los Angeles and they couldn’t get that letter.  So they decided, well, if you want to move we’ll pay fifty thousand towards the air ambulance and we pay the seven and we did that.”

But even with the help, Baby Daniel and his family still has a long way to go.

Via Phone: Mel Spain

“I have to find the monies to do what we’re doing in Colombia.  I have some of the money, I wired some of the money already yesterday and I have to find some more.”

Baby Daniel’s family needs to raise about a hundred thousand dollars in order that he can undergo the life-saving liver transplant.  His family has opened an account at the Belize Bank called the Baby Daniel Bank Account.  If you wish to help save the infant’s life, the account number is 258 350.  Marion Ali For news Five.

That number again is 258 350 at the Belize Bank. As we said earlier, the Hayward Belize Charitable Trust, kicked in with a contribution of fifty thousand US dollars. The trust was set up to support charitable activities in Belize, and owned around seventy percent of Telemedia. Since the nationalization of BTL, the Government has still not paid any compensation to the former shareholders. Last week the Supreme Court chided the Government and instructed them to do so without delay. According to a spokesperson, more Belizeans will stand to benefit when the Trust is paid its compensation.