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Tendai Rupapa Senior Reporter
First Lady Auxillia Mnangagwa, through her Angel of Hope Foundation, has come to the rescue of a 13-year-old Buhera boy who is battling suspected cancer.

She facilitated the transportation of Trymore Mukan’an’a, who lives with his grandmother Mbuya Margaret Muteve, from Buhera to Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals where doctors are doing tests to ascertain the required treatment.

According to Dr Bernard Madzima, Trymore is still being diagnosed, but could have bone cancer (osteogenic carcinoma).
Amai Mnangagwa is the country’s Health and Child Care Ambassador and has a passion for ensuring everyone, including the poor, have access to proper healthcare.

“What I saw is heart-rending. The child is in so much pain and seeing him writhing in pain broke my heart,” she said.
“Arikurwadziwa zvakanyanya mwana uyu zvekuti ndanzwa hura hwangu kusimuka. I was out of the country in China on business when I saw a video circulating with this child pleading for assistance. I then spoke to Dr Madzima, who was part of my delegation representing the Ministry of Health, and showed him the video. I then requested through him that the child be taken to the hospital for medical attention. That is how he was brought here.

“The doctors are now assessing him and I am grateful. As patron of Angel of Hope Foundation, I will engage our partners and see how best we can further assist him and his grandmother.

“We are just waiting for the doctors to do further tests and necessary assessments then from there we will know how best to assist as Angel of Hope. We will walk with him all the way and we wish him a speedy recovery.”

The First Lady thanked Zimbabwe Consolidated Diamond Company (ZCDC) for also assisting Trymore as part of its corporate social responsibility programme.

Buhera West legislator Cde Soul Nzuma, who recorded the video which went viral, pleading for help on behalf of Trymore, praised the First Lady for her motherly love.

“When the First Lady saw the video, she sprung to action proving that she is a hands-on person who has every citizen at heart,” he said.

“Today she took time to visit Trymore and promised to assist in every way possible. We want to thank her for her kindness and love. She is not selective, even the vulnerable members of the community, she has them at heart.”

Mbuya Muteve gave a detailed account of how it all started and made it known that her financial predicament made it difficult for her to raise funds for her grandson’s treatment.

“Sometime in May, Trymore went to play with other kids and later came back home complaining that he had dislocated his leg. I took him to Murambinda Hospital the following day as his leg was swelling. They conducted X-rays but did not see anything (wrong),” she said.

Mbuya Muteve said she was referred to Mutare General Hospital where her grandson was admitted for a week, but medical personnel there said X-ray pictures did not show any fracture.

The medical personnel in Mutare then referred them to Parirenyatwa Hospital where she was advised to get a scan and an X-ray.
She was quoted $8 800 for the MRI scan and $4 600 for the chest X-ray.

“My world came crashing down. There was nowhere I was going to get that kind of money as I am unemployed and live in the rural areas. We went back to Murambinda with no hope. The leg continued to swell and that is when I decided to reach out to our MP. Our wish was to get to our First Lady whom we always see extending a helping hand to others. My prayers were answered and I cried tears of joy when I heard that the First Lady wanted to assist my grand- child.

“Kuuya kwaita Amai muzukuru wangu atopora. We are grateful as we had lost hope,” she said, with hope written all over her face.

Dr Madzima said: “We still await results of further tests done on the patient. However, clinically it looks like bone cancer called osteogenic carcinoma. We will get a definite diagnosis and that is what will determine the treatment direction.”