Acute Myeloid Leukemia - it is a type of cancer of the myeloid blood cells. In April of last year, 10 year old Cleon Marage was diagnosed with the deadly disease and has since been receiving Chemotherapy in Merida. The Standard four student of St John Vianney travels to Merida monthly for treatment which is costly for his family. They are in the process of raising funds so that Cleon can leave by Monday. Here is how you can assist.
Clovis Matura - Mother of Cleon Marage
"I am trying to raise funds for Cleon because he has Acute Myeloid Leukemia."
Monica Bodden
"Tell us about the treatment that he needs?"
Clovis Matura - Mother of Cleon Marage
"He needs to have Chemotherapy for the next 12 months. We go to Merida every three weeks, so that he can get his Chemotherapy. Every time that we go to Merida, we need to come up with $2,000. At first it was more, but now the hospital is giving him free Chemo, so we only need to pay for the hospital stay, medicine and transportation. We first notice in April of last year, it was right after his 10th birthday, he got a swollen lymph node on his neck and within two weeks it was really huge. It burst open and then we ended up at Karl Heusner and there they treated him and they did a bone marrow biopsy and then they found out that he has leukemia. That was the worst news any parent could ever hear. I mean so many things runs through your mind: am I going to lose him? What next? We don't have any money. What is going to happen?"
Monice Bodden
"And then he began receiving treatment where?"
Clovis Matura - Mother of Cleon Marage
"At first, we were going to Chetumal at the general hospital. They didn't treat him. We had to go there every week. That was from April to August. They said that they didn't understand the leukemia, so they did not treat him. So, until August when it got really bad. His liver was swollen, his kidneys, he was in a lot of pain and that was when we ended up at Karl Heusner again. We have been going to Merida since August to now - that's 6 months. He's been in remission since the first treatment. He is looking more like himself. He is active again. He is eating. He is playing. So, he is doing excellent. Tomorrow, we will be having a turkey rice and beans, salad, stuffing, cranberry and onion sauce sale. It will be at Samuel Haynes Institute of Excellence, that's in Lake I. The price is $8. I am asking Belizean to please come out and help us, so we can let him go get his treatment."
Cleon Marage
"Thank you everyone who have help me and I want everyone who is watching this to come out and help, so that I can go to Merida for my treatment."
Monica Bodden
"How are you feeling today?"
Cleon Marage
"I am feeling well."
Monica Bodden
"You miss going to school right?"
Cleon Marage
"Yes."
The turkey dinner sale for 10 year old Cleon Marage will be taking place at the Samuel Haynes Institute of excellence tomorrow from 11am until. Also if you would like to donate any food items for the sale you can contact the family at telephone number 6-6-5-0-1-9-0. Monetary donations can be made to Scotia Bank account number 9-1-0-7-8-6-8.
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