Michael Rose, a resident of Ocho Rios, St Ann, is in a race against time as he puts up a fierce battle against stage-four Ewing sarcoma, a rare type of cancer that occurs in the bones or in the soft tissue around them.
Rose, 34, said that several chemotherapy sessions and multiple operations have failed to help him, and his only shot at life is to receive treatment from a medical facility overseas.
“My situation seems grim because I haven’t been able to get the right type of help that I need. I feel like I am being flung left, right and centre for years. I am trying to get help to get to a sarcoma facility and I am seeking the public’s assistance in doing so. I don’t know who to contact, but I just know that if I don’t get to a sarcoma facility, then I will not last much longer,” he said.
His troubles started back in 2011, shortly after he tied the knot. He said a major discomfort in his chest led him to see a medical practitioner, who referred him to do an X-ray followed by a CT scan, which detected a small tumour.
“She said it wasn’t cancerous and I didn’t have anything to worry about, because the type of tumour that I had won’t grow any further. It was very small at the time and no more tests were recommended. She said I would be fine, so I went home and continued with my life. The pain was still there, but I took my doctor’s advice and I continued the years ahead with the pain getting worse and worse,” Rose said. In 2017, Rose said the pain became unbearable, so he returned to the doctor.
“They said I would be dead already if it was cancer so I have nothing to worry about, so I took that with comfort, although I was in immense pain,” he said.
Rose said the doctor also observed a small rise in his chest and referred him to a medical facility in Kingston for further examinations. Another CT scan revealed that he had a tumour growing in his chest, and he was told to return a week later for further examinations. Rose said he felt alone and broken as he was going through a separation from his wife and was finding it financially challenging to visit Kingston regularly.
“It was very hard as I had my two sons with me at the time, so I decided to go back to work at the restaurant to provide for my children. Maybe if I was more concerned about what was going on, the outcome may have been different, but I was just in a bad situation. I gave up on myself as I didn’t have the help. The tumour on my chest has grown to the size of a large orange and was visible through my shirt,” he said.
In May 2019, Rose returned to the National Chest Hospital in Kingston, where a biopsy revealed the cancer. He said the diagnosis left him speechless.
“I sat for about 10 minutes and stared emptily. I could not believe it, because I was wondering how I was still alive after all these years, because it is very aggressive form of cancer. I did surgery to remove the tumour from my chest in June 2019, and after that I felt okay,” he said. But that was short-lived as a year later the tumour returned, and the cancer spread to his lungs.
“I did chemotherapy sessions, but scans showed that the treatment was not working and they don’t know what else to do. Fast-forward to [the] present and the cancer has spread to my back and liver as well, and there is nothing the doctors in Jamaica can do to help now. Going overseas is just my only option for survival now, but I first need to get a hospital and most importantly, raise the funds to cover the expense,” he said. A GoFundMe account that was set up for him has so far raised US$ 11,772 (approximately $1.8 million) of the $50,000 (approximately $7.6-million) goal.
Persons wishing to assist Michael Rose may contact him at 876-520-0677. Persons may also make contributions to
