Young cancer patient needs help

Fifteen-year-old Edwin Kamutjemo suffers from a very aggressive cancer of the jawbone, called chondrosarcoma.

After four months of chemotherapy to limit the spread of the cancer, doctors at the state-run Dr AB May Cancer Care Centre in Windhoek say his only hope now is to undergo surgery to remove the cancer, as well as reconstructive surgery. These complicated procedures can only be performed in South Africa.According to one of the specialists who treated Kamutjemo, Dr Annelle Zietsman, the surgery should be carried out as soon as possible.”This operation should have been done last year already, but we can’t do it in Namibia.The young boy is a state patient and the Government does not have the required funds needed for him to undergo the surgery in South Africa,” she said.Zietsman, one of four cancer doctors at the centre, says state cancer patients are usually treated in Namibia.”This is an exceptional and a rare case, it’s not very often that patients need care from abroad.Those we can’t help any further are usually much older people, who accept the fact that they will die and go home.But this boy is young and his family refuses to give up.”Kamutjemo and his guardian, Clemmy Kamutjemo, are now trying to raise funds for the surgery.”We must try hard; he is too young to die,” Clemmy said.She told The Namibian that although the cancer in Edwin’s jawbone was only officially diagnosed in June last year, he has had it for the last four years.While in school in the Omaheke region, he started experiencing severe toothache that refused to go away.The guardian said every time he went to the clinic at Gobabis, he was given painkillers.Later, a small bump started developing in his jaw that has now grown to the size of a tennis ball.Edwin completed Grade 9 last year, but because of the frequent trips to Windhoek for treatment, his family decided that he should put his education on hold for this year, while they try to raise funds for his operations.His mother and four siblings live in Gobabis.Edwin currently stays in Windhoek with his guardian and her husband, who is Edwin’s uncle.Edwin, who dreams of becoming a journalist, sat quietly beside his guardian throughout the interview.When asked if he had anything to say, he replied: “I just want to ask the media and the people to help me so that I can go to South Africa.”If he doesn’t, in the words of Dr Zietsman, he will die.The public is kindly requested to assist by depositing donations into an account opened in Edwin Kamutjemo’s name, Bank Windhoek, Katutura Branch, no.2000129715.These complicated procedures can only be performed in South Africa.According to one of the specialists who treated Kamutjemo, Dr Annelle Zietsman, the surgery should be carried out as soon as possible.”This operation should have been done last year already, but we can’t do it in Namibia.The young boy is a state patient and the Government does not have the required funds needed for him to undergo the surgery in South Africa,” she said.Zietsman, one of four cancer doctors at the centre, says state cancer patients are usually treated in Namibia.”This is an exceptional and a rare case, it’s not very often that patients need care from abroad.Those we can’t help any further are usually much older people, who accept the fact that they will die and go home.But this boy is young and his family refuses to give up.”Kamutjemo and his guardian, Clemmy Kamutjemo, are now trying to raise funds for the surgery.”We must try hard; he is too young to die,” Clemmy said.She told The Namibian that although the cancer in Edwin’s jawbone was only officially diagnosed in June last year, he has had it for the last four years.While in school in the Omaheke region, he started experiencing severe toothache that refused to go away.The guardian said every time he went to the clinic at Gobabis, he was given painkillers.Later, a small bump started developing in his jaw that has now grown to the size of a tennis ball.Edwin completed Grade 9 last year, but because of the frequent trips to Windhoek for treatment, his family decided that he should put his education on hold for this year, while they try to raise funds for his operations.His mother and four siblings live in Gobabis.Edwin currently stays in Windhoek with his guardian and her husband, who is Edwin’s uncle.Edwin, who dreams of becoming a journalist, sat quietly beside his guardian throughout the interview.When asked if he had anything to say, he replied: “I just want to ask the media and the people to help me so that I can go to South Africa.”If he doesn’t, in the words of Dr Zietsman, he will die.The public is kindly requested to assist by depositing donations into an account opened in Edwin Kamutjemo’s name, Bank Windhoek, Katutura Branch, no.2000129715.

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