I am not a scammer — Mother of cancer victim hurt over being called a liar

Mother of cancer victim hurt about being called a liar

Dorothy Francis, the mother of 15-year-old cancer victim, Tajay Jones, was left in tears after a slew of verbal attacks from persons accusing her of lying about her son's situation to scam funds.

"People on the Internet are saying some horrible things. Some even call me and saying I'm scamming. My child is in there suffering. I wish they could come see him for themselves to see that I'm not lying," Francis, who lives in Murray Mount, St Ann, bemoaned.

"How can you scam with a sick child on a bed with a leg like that?" she questioned, adding that her son's situation has worsened significantly since he was highlighted in THE STAR in mid November.

She continued, "Him say the foot feel like plastic. Like the inside is getting thin and it a go burst anytime soon. Him say him nuh know how long him can live with it because it's not only the foot. Him a feel pain all over him body. Him feeling the pain straight to him heart."

Last month, Francis appealed to the public for assistance for her son, who is suffering from stage-four osteosarcoma, a form of cancer which starts in the bone and rapidly spreads to other parts of the body. She explained that he was diagnosed more than a year ago, but he did not receive proper medical attention at the time.

Doctors had advised that the best remedy is a speedy amputation, which would cost an estimated $150,000. However, that is yet to happen because they are still awaiting test results from a sample that was taken from the leg to help doctors determine how to proceed with the surgery.

As they wait for the results and the surgery, Tajay's condition continues to deteriorate, and he is slowly losing hope.

"Right now him a tell me fi get the pastor fi come pray fi him because him can't manage it and him nuh know how long him a go live out it," Francis said.

The mother of nine said she has had to discontinue her job as a domestic helper to care for her sick son and newborn baby. Now, she can hardly find the funds to keep her son alive until he undergoes the surgery. Medication costs about $55,000 every two weeks, as in addition to the cancer, he also suffers from a stomach infection and uncontrollable shaking caused from nerve damage.

"Sometimes the pain cause him to cry so loud, it draw crowd come at me gate and people a wonder if me beating him. Some people even say me must ask God fi take him because the suffering is too much," Francis said.

However, she is clinging to hope that her son will live to fulfil his dreams of becoming a scientist.

She added that a few persons have reached out to assist her and she is eternally grateful to them.

Persons wishing to help Tajay may contact Dorothy Francis at 1-876-406-8042.