Mom seeks help for sick son - 11-y-o diagnosed with pancreatitis
11-y-o diagnosed with pancreatitis
With her son constantly in pain after being diagnosed with chronic pancreatitis, single mother Karmala Pitter is struggling to provide the financial support that he needs.
Pitter's 11-year-old son, Kevon Griffiths, has been troubled by the illness since 2014 with his medical bills going as high as $300,000.
Griffiths, who was set to sit the Grade Six Achievement Test in March, was not able to do so because he got seriously ill a few weeks before the exam.
Pancreatitis is inflammation of the pancreas, an abdominal gland behind the stomach. It prevents digestion and can lead to severe complications that can be life-threatening. Chronic pancreatitis can last for months or even several years.
Pitter told THE STAR that her son has been struggling to cope with being out of school and not being able to consume food which is a side effect of his condition.
"It mashing him up, I have to come here everyday to try and keep his spirit up because he is always asking about eating and returning to school," Pitter revealed.
The single mother told THE STAR that she has borrowed the majority of the funds needed to cover the cost of paying for her son's medical treatment.
"Right now, I owe more than $200,000 to family and friends and I have no way to start paying them back," explained Pitter.
The mother of two, who is an upcoming reggae artiste and goes by the stage name Queen Karmala, says that she sells CDs with her music to medical personnel to fund her trips to the Bustamante Hospital for Children, where her son has been admitted for the past six weeks.
SOURCE OF HELP
According to Pitter, her pastor and strangers are her main source of help. They assist her in small but valuable ways.
The father of her son has been absent for more than eight years so the musician is unable to source funding from him.
"He left Jamaica eight years ago and since then I have not been able to contact him so I don't get any help there," she explained.
Griffiths is still undergoing multiple tests by his doctors as they try to ascertain ways to help him become better.
Pitter is appealing for help from the public to assist her with the expenses that she has been faced with because of the multiple tests that her son has done since he became ill.
If you're interested in helping Karmala Pitter and her son, she can be reached at 581-9775.