Man, 20, Suffers Bone Cancer

Doctors at the John F. Kennedy Medical Center in Monrovia have disclosed that a 20 year old Liberian diagnosed with [“Ewing’s Sarcoma”] cancer in the bone cannot be treated in the country for lack of proper equipment, the patient’s parents said.

The family of Zawolo Mandein, an 11th grade student of the Haywood Mission School at Old Road, Sinkor, has been asked to fly their son to Ghana for the needed medical attention.

Family sources say Mandein fell and broke his left thighbone on April 3, 2010.

He was then taken to the J.F.K. Hospital for treatment afterwards.

It was at point that doctors discovered that he suffered severe bone cancer, making it uneasy for him to sit up. According to doctors, Zawolo has a malignant bone cancer that could cause his death if he was not appropriately treated. The family further said it had become impossible to detect if the cancer has already microminiaturized (broken into small units).

Mr. Wilfred B. Mandein, father of Zawolo, recently sounded an appeal to humanitarian groups for assistance to air-lift his son, one escort and his mother to Ghana for advanced treatment. According to him, the family has already spent over L$50,000; rendering the family incapable of shouldering the air fare to Ghana.

A medical report from the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at the John F. Kennedy Hospital, confirmed that Zawolo had a pathologic fracture of the left femur following a rigorous clinical examination and radiographs on April 2010.

The findings were discussed with the patient and his family. The options were bed rest, open reduction and internal fixation with excision biopsy, hip disarticulation or transfer out of the country to an appropriately equipped facility. Zawolo has been on bed since he underwent surgery on April 26, 2010.

Further, the medical report advanced three options to be explored: transfer of the patient and his biopsy specimen to an appropriately equipped facility to initiate definitive treatment including surgical excision/amputation and chemotherapy, or transfer of the specimen to a pathologist for identification of the specific tumor followed by hip disarticulation and administration of the appropriate chemotherapy treatment at JFK.

The report indicated that any decision made and action taken should be expeditious, as further delay may result in complication or death.

Zawolo’s parents can be contacted at 077-213966, 06-538854, or the family resident in Congo Town, Pagos Island.