It's ironic that young Yanique Allen wants to work in the field of medicine when she grows up as she's now faced with a medical challenge of her own that is threatening her very life.

Yanique is 15 but the disease she faces usually occurs later in life, around age 60 or 70. She discovered two years ago that she had a Glomus Jugulare Tumour. She has already lost her father to this very disease.

A glomus jugulare tumour grows in the bones of the skull where nerves are located. Specifically, the tumour occurs in part of the jugular vein (a large vein in the neck) or along a certain nerve on the side of the skull (temporal bone).

Her story was featured on CVM TV's News Watch programme on April 9, 2009.

Yanique now has a twisted face and suffers from pain, high fever and sometimes bleeding and other secretions from the ear. Treatment is needed to relieve the symptoms.

The treatment includes a procedure known as embolization where blood flow to the tumour is cut off resulting in it shrinking before being removed, followed by radiation to treat any remnants. If this is done, Yanique could have a 90% chance of survival and recovery.

Yanique's doctors at the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI) have indicated that the surgery required is not available in Jamaica and she has been referred to the Johns Hopkins Medical Center in Maryland for further care. The cost is estimated at US$300,000.

To help Yanique, you may make a donation to a fund account set up for her at the National Commercial Bank. The account number is #234248367.

Last update : Saturday, 11 April 2009

Average user rating