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A child?s cry for help

EditorialA child?s cry for help


The prohibitive cost of health care for poor families in Belize is a great concern to us at this newspaper, but we are especially concerned about children who suffer because they don?t have access to the medical care that they so badly need and deserve. We cannot gamble with their lives, and we cannot depend on chance or luck. We need to give them a more certain hope.


It breaks our hearts each time we hear the stories of families who cannot afford to pay the cost of getting life-saving medical care for their children.


The four-year-old Santa Martha child should have never died of sepsis, secondary to malnutrition, in a land where crops grow so plentifully.


The stories of deceased leukemia patient, Jevon Mahler; another leukemia patient, Myron Guzman, Jr., heart patients Shaquille Usher and Neville Bermudez, and most recently that of Chris Bowman, aired on Channel 7 News last night, so closely mirror the stories of many other ailing children in Belize.


We know that these are times of austerity for the Government of Belize, but we think that, like the broader Belizean community, the Government of Belize has a social responsibility to these children and their families that should be given urgent attention.


We urge the Government of Belize to set up a special medical fund, specifically for children who need life-saving surgeries and critical medical care, but whose families cannot afford it.


We also ask the Government of Belize to work out a formal arrangement with governments in the region which have appropriate medical facilities, so that patients and their families would have assurances that they won?t be denied visas for travel to get medical attention, as in the case of little Jevon.


We know that many in the community would like to assist children who need help, and many people in fact do. But we think that it is time for a structured and focused program that parents and families can access for financial aid for needy children, rather than waiting for the dollars to trickle in. Time is not always on their side.


The Government may choose to pay medical facilities directly and give families a reasonable allowance to meet extra expenses. We know that BERT already assists with transportation, and Friends of Pediatrics has linkages with some medical facilities at home and abroad, but their resources are seemingly stretched thin. We also know that Social Security has, from time to time, assisted with medical grants, but the continued cries for help from families send a loud message?that there is a huge gap to be filled.


We think that the Government has the resources and networking capabilities to establish a successful program. We have the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Human Development, and the Ministry responsible for Youth that can team up in a concerted effort to make this happen. There is also the National Committee for Families and Children, the Belize Medical and Dental Association, and Friends of Pediatrics who could be encouraged to collaborate in such a venture.


This is not Amandala?s cry for help. We are merely messengers. It a cry that we hear coming from the hearts and souls of mothers, fathers, and the loved ones of children who continue to suffer in Belize without hope. It is time that they are granted the hope that they so deserve.


The Government invests hundreds of millions of dollars a year on its programs; it is time to invest more seriously in the ailing young.


Historically, unenlightened societies have purposely killed off those children who they think would be burden to them, children who are born less than perfect. There are even those who have killed children for being of the wrong gender. These murders sometimes take place even before these souls see the light of day.


We shudder to think Belize could fall into the category of an unenlightened society. It is a mistake for us to say that we don?t need to do anything for these youth because they are bound to die soon anyway and won?t be able to contribute anything to society. It is an utter mistake for us to think of them as a burden.


We cite the case of a young girl, born with a serious intestinal birth defect, who is now enjoying her 4th year of life. When she was a baby, her mother invited our newspaper to do an interview, because she needed financial help to get her child critical surgery in the US.


Through Friends of Pediatrics and help from the community and American Airlines, she eventually managed to get help. Today, the child is amazingly bright and energetic, and already an asset to Belize. Should God spare life, she is bound to become one of Belize?s shining stars.


We also cite the case of a young boy musician, 6. One minute he was performing on stage at the Belize City Center with his family?s band – the next minute he had to be in surgery for a tumor. We know that while a local hospital assisted, again through Friends of Pediatrics, there are thousands of dollars yet to be paid for him and the child needs sustained medical treatment.


Even with his continued battle, this young star goes on to shine and bless not just his family, but also the wider Belizean community.


We see this potential in each and every Belizean child, whether healthy or sick, whether poor or rich. It is the responsibility of the Government of Belize and the wider community to contribute positively to their wellness.


It seems to us that these days, the cries for help are louder than ever and more frequent than ever. For the most part, these cries are coming from families who can barely find money to meet their basic expenses. We hear them and we cry too.


We continue to urge the wider Belizean community to support these children in whatever way they can, even if it is not financially. Even your moral support will go a long way.


As taxpayers, we appeal to the Government of Belize to invest in a structured and focused program to help these ailing children and their families, to ensure that they are given a fair chance at life.


It would greatly please families to know that if their children are in need of critical medical care, there is a specific place where they can go for help.


Mr. Ashcroft does not need the millions: our suffering children do.

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