Shirley Bowen Ferguson has been singing and performing for years, but tonight, she risks losing that voice because of a cyst growing on the side of her neck. She is having a street concert this weekend where she hopes to sing for your support. Emanuel Pech visited Miss Shirley yesterday during one of her daily rehearsals.

Shirley Bowen Ferguson is a well-known Belizean musician, writer and poet.

She loves her garden which is what inspired her latest song "Don't Bring Me Roses." She has high hopes for this piece and others she has written.

She hopes to record them in a few years and publish a book of poems.

But a large cyst that has latched to the side of her throat threatens to rob her of these dreams.

Shirley Bowen Ferguson - Sings for Support

"This thing I'm very concerned about it because as you can see it's going down in the neck and it's coming out the face and it's very large. It's a big lump here."

She had developed this condition in the 90's but a small surgery in Belize got rid of it. However in 2013 the lump on the side of her neck came back only this time it started growing quickly. Now, Doctors say that it may damage her hearing and interfere with her sinus if left unchecked.

Mrs. Ferguson needs surgery but it will cost several thousand dollars- money which she doesn't have. But instead of asking for donations, she has decided to sing for her support at a street concert this Saturday.

Shirley Bowen Ferguson - Sings for Support

"Young man it's hard for me to say I'm sick and I need some money can you help me. We grew up, we weren't allowed to beg nobody for nothing. I still want to live by my father's rules and my father's laws. So I want to go out there and sweat to help to go abroad to go across the border."

Shirley will be in front of the down town Plaza on Albert Street from 8 am to 6 pm on Saturday.

Shirley Bowen Ferguson - Sings for Support

"So I'll be doing 3 hours none stop singing and playing my own songs, that would probably bring me up to 100 songs that I wrote. And then after that I'm going to go other artist songs and I think few artist will be out there with me, I think Emit Usher, I don't know if that's the man's name; promised me if he can make it he will be out there. I know Bob will be out there with me for a little time but I want to do none stop 3 hours then I'm going to go non-stop 2 hours and then I'm going to continue in and out. I have a book of poems, while I sing one song, I'll be reading my poems them."

"I would like to ask Belizeans, Belize on a whole if you come down from San Antonio or from Orange Walk, every know Shirley Bowen but I'm now Shirley Ferguson. And if you want to donate a dollar, fifty cents whatever you want to donate towards the occasion, you can do that. It doesn't have to be 10 dollars, 20 dollars; it can be 1 dollar, 2 dollars because 1 and 1 make 2 and 2 and 2 make 4. By having the amount of kids I know how to budget my money okay."

"I will be out there and if you want to donate something towards the cost you can do so, I would appreciate it very much.

Reporting for 7 news Emanuel Pech.

Shirley Bowen Ferguson will be in Albert Street on Saturday from 8 am to 6 pm. Anyone who wishes to contact her for additional assistance can reach her at 203-5867 and 663-2153 .