Helping Benjamin Thando Beat Cancer
Donation protected
I am Rosetta, Duduzile (Michelle) older sister. I am starting this GO FUND ME page to hopefully raise funds to help ease the financial stress for my sister, while she attends to the care of her youngest child Benjamin (Ben).
On December 15, 2018 the lives of our family were changed forever.
Ben’s parents Duduzile and Ron felt a lump in Ben’s abdomen and at first thought it was constipation. Just as a cautionary measure they took him to Vancouver Children's Hospital to have the lump checked. Unfortunately, from there the family’s nightmare began. The ultrasound showed a mass in his abdomen and the doctors needed to do a biopsy to assess whether or not it was cancerous.
On December 21, Ben was admitted to Children’s Hospital, for a biopsy and discharged on the evening of Christmas day. It was an extremely sad occasion, as for the first time given the festive season happening all around them, there was no ease to the fear on the parents’ minds at that time.
On January 2, 2019 the family received the results from the biopsy and the doctors confirmed that it was Desmoplastic CANCER. Their worst fear was now a reality. As painful as it was, this family has had to be strong to ease the fear Ben was experiencing for himself about being hospitalized and knowing that there was something growing in his tummy. Aggressive chemotherapy had to start immediately and it commenced on January 7. Ben ended up being hospitalized for the reminder of January and has been receiving chemotherapy treatments ever since. On May 6 he had a successful surgery to remove the mass and has since been doing well.
The family still has a long tough journey ahead of them, as Ben has to undergo further chemotherapy, which started on May 29 and he will be mostly hospitalized during the summer and will be scheduled to have radiation at a later date.
As most of you know, residing in a hospital generates its own expenses, such as daily parking and food costs. But now the parents have to finance the expense of childcare over the summer for their oldest daughter Michaela who is 8years old. Ron is the only working parent in the family, and can no longer take any time off from work. And Duduzile has taken long term leave in order to care for Ben while at the hospital, and manage Michaela’s care from a distance.
Duduzile is trying to bring our younger sister Geraldine from Zimbabwe to help with the childcare so some of the funds raised will be directed at the cost of Geraldine’s travel costs. If we are unsuccessful in obtaining a Visa for Geraldine, then the plan is to place Michaela in summer camps and daycare at the start of the new school year in September. The potential funds will also be used to cover the expense generated from the staying at Children’s hospital, as well as the medical expenses for Ben’s treatment and some household expenses.
Please share this page as any donations will be greatly appreciated.
On December 15, 2018 the lives of our family were changed forever.
Ben’s parents Duduzile and Ron felt a lump in Ben’s abdomen and at first thought it was constipation. Just as a cautionary measure they took him to Vancouver Children's Hospital to have the lump checked. Unfortunately, from there the family’s nightmare began. The ultrasound showed a mass in his abdomen and the doctors needed to do a biopsy to assess whether or not it was cancerous.
On December 21, Ben was admitted to Children’s Hospital, for a biopsy and discharged on the evening of Christmas day. It was an extremely sad occasion, as for the first time given the festive season happening all around them, there was no ease to the fear on the parents’ minds at that time.
On January 2, 2019 the family received the results from the biopsy and the doctors confirmed that it was Desmoplastic CANCER. Their worst fear was now a reality. As painful as it was, this family has had to be strong to ease the fear Ben was experiencing for himself about being hospitalized and knowing that there was something growing in his tummy. Aggressive chemotherapy had to start immediately and it commenced on January 7. Ben ended up being hospitalized for the reminder of January and has been receiving chemotherapy treatments ever since. On May 6 he had a successful surgery to remove the mass and has since been doing well.
The family still has a long tough journey ahead of them, as Ben has to undergo further chemotherapy, which started on May 29 and he will be mostly hospitalized during the summer and will be scheduled to have radiation at a later date.
As most of you know, residing in a hospital generates its own expenses, such as daily parking and food costs. But now the parents have to finance the expense of childcare over the summer for their oldest daughter Michaela who is 8years old. Ron is the only working parent in the family, and can no longer take any time off from work. And Duduzile has taken long term leave in order to care for Ben while at the hospital, and manage Michaela’s care from a distance.
Duduzile is trying to bring our younger sister Geraldine from Zimbabwe to help with the childcare so some of the funds raised will be directed at the cost of Geraldine’s travel costs. If we are unsuccessful in obtaining a Visa for Geraldine, then the plan is to place Michaela in summer camps and daycare at the start of the new school year in September. The potential funds will also be used to cover the expense generated from the staying at Children’s hospital, as well as the medical expenses for Ben’s treatment and some household expenses.
Please share this page as any donations will be greatly appreciated.
Organizer
Rosetta Mathe
Organizer
Burnaby, BC
