Oraine longing to smile - Ailing youngster hopeful surgery will bring him joy

"I want to be able to look, eat and talk like a normal person. I want to be able to smile -- because I have since lost the ability -- without feeling ugly or weird, or like an alien."

These are some of Oraine Simpson's wishes, and they may just be realised. The 25-year-old is scheduled to undergo a parathyroidectomy at the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI) this week. The procedure is aimed at removing the affected parathyroid glands which are believed to be responsible for an abnormal growth under his chin that medics call Brown's tumour.

Simpson was admitted to the hospital on the weekend. He has been hoping to have the procedure done from last year. In addition to Brown's tumour, the call-centre worker is battling a myriad of illnesses including end-stage renal failure, heart disease, a ruptured bladder, hyperthyroidism and hypertension.

Simpson's battle with Brown's tumour began in 2016, but it wasn't until 10 months ago that the abnormal growth began. He said that it has severely impacted his quality of life. Simpson said that he was scheduled to do a parathyroidectomy last January, but it was called off after an ultrasound revealed signs of fluid around his heart.

He successfully completed open-heart surgery but the parathyroidectomy was not done as it was considered less serious.

The surgery to attack the Brown's tumour was rescheduled for July, but had to be postponed because his potassium levels were too high. The Beckford Kraal, Clarendon, native said doctors said the procedure was too risky at the time.

"I was devastated because I knew it [the tumour] is growing and getting worse," he said.

"When the surgery is eventually done, I will need recovery time, so it has turned my world upside down to figure where I go from here. The sooner, the better, so I can get back to living," Simpson told THE STAR.

Anxious yet hopeful, Simpson is praying for the surgery to be a success, with minimal pain and discomfort. The Clarendon College graduate is yearning to feel like his younger self, "with a bright smile and all the self-confidence in the world".

"This is important for physical appearance as it looks deformed and I have an overbite, so I am involuntarily biting myself, which bleeds and is extremely painful. It causes difficulty [when I am] speaking and eating hard food, I have difficulty sleeping. It also affects my self-esteem and confidence, I have to be wearing a mask all the time," he shared.

The full cost of the surgery has not yet been determined, as he is expected to do reconstructive jaw surgery soon.

Those willing to donate, may visit his GoFundMe campaign at:

https://www.gofundme.com/f/donate-to-help-oraine?qid=eca956d031248173efa...