Woman seeks help for grandson

In the midst of mourning the loss of her daughter, Yvonne Taylor knew she had to be strong for her grandson, Nathan McKenzie, and she made a promise that he would have the best life possible even though he did not get a chance to know his mother.

She explained that Nathan was born prematurely at 30 weeks and has suffered from several ailments.

In addition to fighting pneumonia, the youngster is faced with medical issue which could result in him being visually impaired. He has already done two eye surgeries and is scheduled to undergo another optical procedure in July at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute in Florida.

FUNDING NEEDED

"This procedure could cost up to US$20,000 (J$2,717,262), which is inclusive of travelling and accommodation, but I am not seeing a way to find even half of the funds. We have already spent a lot on his medical bills, so we are drained financially. Despite the huge bills, I will not give up on Nate. He is a very loving and blessed child. I am just really asking for some assistance for him, no matter how small it is," Taylor said.

She told THE STAR that the baby underwent a series of medical exams when he was born, and everything came back positive, except the eye test.

The results indicated that Nathan suffers from retinopathy of prematurity. This is an eye disease that can affect premature babies. It causes abnormal blood vessels to grow in the retina and can lead to blindness.

HIS EYESIGHT

"We were told that his eyes weren't fully developed and the blood vessels weren't connected to the retina. He went through four surgeries, but his right eye is of no use. But we are not sure to what extent he may be seeing out of the other one. We have tried our local hospitals, but they can't do anything else. We were recommended to the eye institute, so his father and I are trying to get him to Florida," Taylor said.

"He is a very smart child, so he can speak about what he is feeling, and he keeps saying that the place is black or dark. He sometimes asks if it's night even during the days, so I am assuming that he is not seeing anything. He feels his way around, but there are times when he will walk into things," she added.

Taylor explained that her daughter, Cindy, suffered from diabetes but continued to battle her illness and was determined to stay alive for her son. However, she went into a coma last June when her son was just seven months old, and she never recovered.

"She was 30 years old, but she lived a full life. She got a solid education and got all she wanted. She got married, and she had her baby. She always said she wanted to have a child before she leaves this earth as she wanted a piece of her to be left behind," Taylor said.

Persons wishing to assist Nathan McKenzie may contact Yvonne Taylor at 876-343-1707. A GoFundMe account has been created for the youngster.