Youth ailing with tumor gets more help

Christopher Bowman

There has been a breakthrough in the efforts to take Christopher Bowman abroad for the surgical removal of an enormous and aggressive tumor that has been growing in his chest for thirteen years. Several hospitals in the U.S. had been looking at the case and today Emilio Zabaneh, who is assisting Bowman, gave us the good news that the surgery will be done in Oklahoma. But Zabaneh says that while Bowman has received a lot of support, there is still a great need for financial assistance.

Emilio Zabaneh, Assisting Christopher Bowman

“Currently we are getting him ready to take him to the states. They have accepted him at a hospital in Oklahoma and they are ready to do the surgery. All we need to do is to raise some money for him to go. It’s basically coming down to a financial issue.”

Delahnie Bain

“And how much do you all need to raise now?”

Emilio Zabaneh

Emilio Zabaneh

“Right now we have a considerable discount that we’re hoping to raise. It’s down to a hundred and ten thousand Belize dollars and even at that, we’re hoping for more discounts if he qualifies for them. We’re just appealing to the public to let’s bring in the money. I was amazed to see that he already has forty thousand dollars today and the Social Security Board is also doing a fundraiser and that’s supposed to bring us up to a good target. But he still has some monies to go and we want to see that that money comes in as soon as possible so that he can get his paperwork to travel.”

Delahnie Bain

“So he is going to leave basically as soon as the money is raised?”

Emilio Zabaneh

“As long as we can show by Friday to the board in Oklahoma that we have raised our portion of what is required, they will send the paper work for him to apply for his visa and we pretty much have guarantees that he will get his visa and travel soon thereafter.  We’re positive that God is moving and Chris will get the money he needs to travel but we’re just appealing to the Belizean public to still continue to give to Chris so that we can see a miracle happen.”

The Social Security Board is raffling a washing machine and dryer, with the hopes of raising twenty thousand dollars toward Bowman’s cause. The draw takes place at the S.J.C. Gym during the Math Olympiad on Wednesday morning. Donations can be deposited at Holy Redeemer Credit Union account number 61025, Atlantic Bank account 210-607-379 or Belize Bank account 240521. Zabaneh can also be reached at 610-5412.