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The mother of four-year-old Sian Flemming is appealing to the public to come out and support a worthy cause—the Incredible Myron B’s upcoming King Humor-us concert to raise funds for her daughter’s medical expenses.
Hertia Foncette says baby Sian cannot breathe or swallow without the assistance of machines but was denied funding by the Children’s Life Fund because her case was deemed non-life-threatening.
Sian was born with Choanal Atresia, a congenital disorder where the back of the nasal passage (choana) is blocked by abnormal bony or soft tissue.
Speaking to the Sunday Guardian on Friday, Foncette said: “Trinidad doesn’t have the facilities, that’s why we’re going to Colombia. It pains me to see her home every day. My father actually left his job to take her care of her, because we have to work to sustain her.
“She has tracheostomy and gastrostomy tubes in her and we can’t even get actual tubes here. We have to go abroad to purchase them and bring them back. I’m not going to Miami just to buy that. My appeal really for having these fundraisers is to get an opportunity to give Sian at least six months in that facility where she will be monitored.”
She said her father was not a professional or medical caregiver and her mother, unfortunately, suffered a stroke four years ago and could not move around much, so he now had to care for both of them.
Foncette said most of the earnings she and her husband acquired went towards basic necessities for their daughter.
She said it was disheartening to be spending money visiting different local therapists only to be told they didn’t deal with children with tracheostomy tubes and didn’t want the responsibility if anything went wrong.
Foncette said at least she would feel a sense of relief when she got to Cardio Infantil Hospital in Colombia because they had a full staff, professional equipment and the paediatric doctors knew what to do. She is seeking to raise at least $150,000 for the exercise.
Myron “Myron B” Bruce, the reigning National Extempo Monarch, has assembled an all-star cast of comedians and humorous calypso acts for the comedy, calypso and extempo fundraiser carded for July 21 and 22 at the Little Carib Theatre, Woodbrook.
Veteran comedians Errol Fabien, Damion Melville and Louis Antoine, former extempo monarchs Black Sage (Philip Murray) and Lingo (Joseph Vautor La Placeliere) and calypsonians Kid Kalalloo (Julien Hunte) and Dirty Curty (Curtis Conyette) are among the performers scheduled to appear.
Tickets for the event cost $200 and are available at Crosby’s Music Centre, St James and Simon’s Musical Supplies, Port-of-Spain.
Tickets can also be reserved by sending a Whatsapp message to 717-7103 or 482-6067 and online at www.incrediblemyronb.com.