Forty-three-year-old Nicole Gordon, mother of 26-year-old Romorio Lee, who has sickle cell and thalassemia disease, is now living in hope that somehow, someway, she will get the assistance she so badly needs to take care of her son.
Although he is 26, she said Romorio looks more like a 14-year-old. He is crippled by his illness and able only to move his head.
Gordon, who has to do everything for her son, admitted that at his best, he can do light housework, but even that is taxing as he must take frequent breaks as the chore leaves him weak and in pain.
Working as a caregiver for an elderly person, Gordon, who lives in Kingston, pointed out that her little over minimum wage is just enough to cover her monthly utility bills.
“Sometimes I manage to buy a week’s worth of food. Most times I have to neglect utilities to pay for my son’s numerous tests; it’s very hard. His illness has been really severe,” she told Freedom Come Rain.
He has been hospitalised more times than she can remember, leaving her depressed and stressed out. The only ray on the horizon is that in 2022, she began to see a little improvement.
OVER $40,000 NEEDED
Gordon revealed that Romorio has an upcoming sickle cell clinic appointment and numerous tests totalling over $40,000 that she cannot afford, and she is at her wit’s end.
“The tests are to try to figure out the cause of his jaundice that won’t go away and why his liver has suddenly become enlarged, and the list goes on,” she notes.
Gordon shared that she has tried many avenues to get assistance for her son, but so far nothing has panned out. In December 2022, she applied to the National Commercial Bank’s (NCB) ‘Make A Wish’ initiative, hoping that the tide would turn, but not being social media savvy, she was not able to secure enough votes to garner the top spot so she could get the well-needed assistance.
“NCB was my last straw, and even that failed, leaving me feeling like there’s no help for my only child. I worry a lot as I too have developed health issues, and I worry how long I’ll be able to take care of him; I blame myself and live with guilt every day for giving him these terrible diseases,” she lamented.
Gordon disclosed that the doctors want the test done so her son can be sent to see a liver specialist but if she can’t afford the tests, she wonders how she will be able to pay for a specialist.
Gordon is hoping that someone reading her story and seeing her plight will find it in their hearts to reach out and make a difference in the lives of both her and her son. If that is you, please call her at 876-839-7314.
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When He went ashore, He saw a large crowd, and felt compassion for them and healed their sick. Matthew 14:14