I stand with Etana
Donation protected
As 2016 was calling it a year, thousands of kids and parents were getting excited (or otherwise) about another school year. Etana Johari is one of those kids. Hers however had the added thrill of joining Standard One and yet further at a new school. On a shopping spree for school supplies with her mother, and with only a girl’s best friend (shoes) left to pick out, Etana complained that her legs hurt. She wanted to go home – and leave the shoes!
It turned out that it wasn’t just a tantrum – which she knows how to play on mum and dad. A wobbly gait in her walk and not so clear sight in one eye proved that something was definitely off. Tests conducted at Aga Khan University Hospital(Nairobi, Kenya) proved that Etana had a growth in her head which, as the New Year kicked in, was diagnosed as a Pontine Glioma - a tumor on the brain stem.
The dedicated team of doctors, after third, fourth and fifth opinions, prescribed that Etana go through a six week regimen of Radiotherapy. On further consultation with other professionals in the field, the India option came up and true to form, the medical team offered a treatment plan that included Tomotherapy which is an advanced form of Radiotherapy, Cyber Knife Treatment (Lasic treatment for conventionally inoperable tumors) with the final session being Chemotherapy to drive out the Glioma, hopefully once and for all. These advanced procedures are unfortunately not available in Kenya.
Currently Etana is going for Radiotherapy sessions at Aga Khan Hospital every week day afternoon. She has grown out of the initial scary phase and at 5 years of age is braver than most adults would be faced with the same circumstances.
The sessions in addition to physiotherapy will help reduce the tumor and enable her to regain full function on her right side before she travels to India for another 6-7 weeks for the advanced treatment. Her family is in the process of raising $34,000 to cater for medical costs in India as well as travel and upkeep which are uninsurable costs.
With your generous support you can help ensure that Etana not only gets the kind of specialized treatment she needs but also, get her back on her feet and ready to finally wear those school shoes. Walk this journey with us by supporting this Gofundme medical campaign. 2016 may have got the diagnosis but 2017 will get the victory.
Thank you for the support!
- With Love -
Etana’s Family and Friends
It turned out that it wasn’t just a tantrum – which she knows how to play on mum and dad. A wobbly gait in her walk and not so clear sight in one eye proved that something was definitely off. Tests conducted at Aga Khan University Hospital(Nairobi, Kenya) proved that Etana had a growth in her head which, as the New Year kicked in, was diagnosed as a Pontine Glioma - a tumor on the brain stem.
The dedicated team of doctors, after third, fourth and fifth opinions, prescribed that Etana go through a six week regimen of Radiotherapy. On further consultation with other professionals in the field, the India option came up and true to form, the medical team offered a treatment plan that included Tomotherapy which is an advanced form of Radiotherapy, Cyber Knife Treatment (Lasic treatment for conventionally inoperable tumors) with the final session being Chemotherapy to drive out the Glioma, hopefully once and for all. These advanced procedures are unfortunately not available in Kenya.
Currently Etana is going for Radiotherapy sessions at Aga Khan Hospital every week day afternoon. She has grown out of the initial scary phase and at 5 years of age is braver than most adults would be faced with the same circumstances.
The sessions in addition to physiotherapy will help reduce the tumor and enable her to regain full function on her right side before she travels to India for another 6-7 weeks for the advanced treatment. Her family is in the process of raising $34,000 to cater for medical costs in India as well as travel and upkeep which are uninsurable costs.
With your generous support you can help ensure that Etana not only gets the kind of specialized treatment she needs but also, get her back on her feet and ready to finally wear those school shoes. Walk this journey with us by supporting this Gofundme medical campaign. 2016 may have got the diagnosis but 2017 will get the victory.
Thank you for the support!
- With Love -
Etana’s Family and Friends
Organizer
Steve Jimbo
Organizer
Saskatoon, SK