Joao overcomes life-threatening cyst....
February 1, 2010
Joao De Almeida has recently returned to East Timor and is looking forward to a special first birthday.
Joao is very lucky to be alive. He had a growing cyst which pressed against his windpipe making breathing difficult. His mother, Floriana De Oliveira took him to Dili for treatment but the doctors there could not diagnose his problem.
Floriana with Joao after the Canberra operation
That's when ROMAC appeared on the scene, arranging for Joao to be flown to Canberra for a life-saving operation at Canberra Hospital.
The operation went successfully and Joao was discharged shortly after Christmas.
However that was not the end of the story. Joao was discovered to have a 7mm renal stone which required surgery in Sydney as Canberra did not have the necessary paediatric facilities.
Fortunately that operation was completed with a minimum of inconvenience to Joao.
Both the mother and the patient have received outstanding support from ROMAC carers and Timorese nationals during their stay in Australia.
Home host Aderito Soares and Rotarians Sandra Mahlberg and Patricia McDonnell were some of the main care-givers. Their contribution eased the worries of mum, Floriana, at what was a stressful time for her.
The good news is that all went well and Joao seems set to enjoy a normal life courtesy of ROMAC.
