Help save our son, parents plea

Monday September 18, 2006
Parents of six-months-old Avneel Nikil Chand who suffers from cardiac problems are appealing to the public for help so that their child can receive urgent treatment overseas.

Avneel needs palliative surgery, which is not done locally.

Father Abinesh Chand told Fijilive.com that the family has collected $7,000 and needs another $21,000 for treatment in New Zealand.

Chand said when Avneel was born; doctors at the Colonial War Memorial Hospital had informed the family that he would survive a week.

He said he and his wife were optimistic that through proper treatment and surgery their son could survive.

"A specialist from overseas has reviewed my son's case and they have informed the family that treatment is available overseas because Fiji does not have specialised equipment for such delicate procedures.

"Doctors in Fiji say that my son has only three ventricles, meaning that his third and forth ventricle are not separated by a septum, which is causing problems in transporting and purifying the blood.

"This has resulted in the child failing to gain weight but since we have bought the child home, the family is taking extreme care to make him comfortable so that he doesn't have respiratory problem which can lead to his condition deteriorating," he said.

Paediatrician Dr Joseph Kado at the CWM hospital said the child is in need of urgent surgery overseas to improve his short-term well-being and an assessment later to improve his long-term well being.

Avneel's Colonial National bank account number: 7965019


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