THE family of a nine-year-old boy with a severe tumour which engulfs his face is pleading with the British public for help.
Simbarashe Dande developed the malignant tumour at age three – which locals have branded a “curse”.
Since then, the tumour has grown significantly and he is now unable to go to school, see, breathe, speak or eat properly.
He has exhausted all treatment available in Africa where he lives – and now his extended family, who live in the UK, have launched a campaign to save his life.
His aunt, Violet Makunike, 53, from Birmingham, has raised nearly half of the £40,000 she needs to bring him to the UK for treatment – before it’s too late.
Some of the donations have come from kind-hearted Brits eager to help little Simbarashe who has trouble breathing and eating due to the growing tumour.
“Everyone says he’s cursed,” Violet said.
“It makes us so sad to watch him struggling in pain.”
According to his aunt, the growth massively hinders his life.
“He can’t play with the kids or live a normal life,” she explained.
”He can only eat soft food but he struggles to swallow, he can barely talk and he needs assistance to dress.
“He needs help or he will die,” she added.
In March 2015, Simbarashe was born with a wart on the right side of his face that slowly started to grow.
His mum, Maria, and his late dad, Thompson, sought medical support and doctors diagnosed the boy with osteosarcoma in the maxillofacial region.
During this time, Simbarashe, who was living in Zimbabwe, was unable to go to school due to the other children being frightened by his tumour.
Violet said: “All of the neighbours suggested that he was cursed.
We don’t know how much longer he will live in this condition. No one given us a time or date that he could die
Violet Makunike
“They were terrified of their kids catching the curse.
“Everyone was really upset and disturbed, they couldn’t leave their home without looks.
“Everyone was constantly staring and making them feel lonely. “
His terrified parents raised over £17,000 through fundraising which paid for him to go from Zimbabwe to South Africa for medical help in November 2020.
On top of chemotherapy, surgeons removed a part of the tumour in the hope of slowing down its growth – but it didn’t work long-term.
Simbarashe’s dad passed away due to an infection in December 2020, leaving Maria to raise their son alone.
Violet, a teaching assistant, said: “It would be incredibly devastating to lose him.
“We’ve put everything into raising awareness and fundraising.
“He deserves to live a normal life.
”We hoped that everything would get better.
“We want him to live without suffering.
Violet wants her nephew to be healthy and for the condition to stop “plaguing the family,” the author added.
Since his treatment in South Africa, the tumour has grown rapidly and Simbarashe needs a tube to breath
Despite not going to school, Maria is homeschooling her son and he enjoys watching his brother, Tatande, seven, watch football.
His family are raising money via GoFundMe for him to travel to the UK for life-saving surgery that will remove the tumour.
Violet said: “Everyone is worried about his health.
“We don’t want to lose him after working so hard to raise awareness.
“We don’t know how much longer he will live in this condition.
“No one given us a time or date that he could die.
“He’s a beautiful bright boy who doesn’t deserve this pain.
“He used to be cheerful and talkative but recently he’s been very quiet as his tumour obstructs his ability to talk with us.
”We just want him well so he can live a happy life.”
Osteosarcoma is the most common type of bone cancer, usually diagnosed in teenagers and young adults.
It occurs when the cells that grow new bone form a cancerous tumour.
The cause of the cancer is unknown but it is thought to be related to rapid bone growth, such as adolescence.
Most tumours usually develop around the knee, either in the lower part of the thighbone or the upper part of the shinbone.
If cancer has not spread, the long-term survival rate is between 70 and 75 per cent.
If osteosarcoma has already spread, such as to the lungs or other bones at diagnosis, the long-term survival rate is about 30 per cent.
Symptoms:
There are a few treatment options for osteosarcoma.
Often administered before surgery, chemotherapy uses drugs that help shrink and kill cancerous cells.
The length of treatment varies and may depend on whether the cancer has spread to other parts of the body.
In most cases, surgeons can save the cancerous limb.
The tumour and surrounding bone are removed and the missing bone is replaced with an artificial one.
Sources: Macmillan and Healthline
