By JESSE GRAHAM
A TWO-year-old will have another chance at life thanks to an operation organised by Rotary that saw him fly into the country and rushed into an operation to remove a 3.5 kilogram tumour.
Anton Da Silva from East Timor (Timor-Leste) was flown into Australia on 21 December, 2015, for life-saving surgery to remove a rare and aggressive tumour that had grown on his kidney.
The tumour, a clear cell sarcoma, had grown to 3.5 kilograms inside the then 22-month-old child, and was removed the next day.
Rotary Club of Healesville member, Graeme Chester, organised Anton’s flight over and surgery through the Rotary Oceania Medical Aid for Children (ROMAC), and said the trip was perfectly timed.
He said Anton had “severe” breathing difficulties, as the tumour was putting pressure on his heart and lungs, and the operation at Monash Medical Centre took eight hours and dive surgeons.
“They said if he didn’t have it (surgery), he would have been dead within 24 hours,” Mr Chester said.
Anton, who travelled over with his grandmother, Claudina, is now undergoing chemotherapy treatment, and is set to go home later in the year, if the treatment is successful.
The pair, along with Mr Chester and Rotarians, Marjolein and Russel Marknock, visited Healesville Sanctuary on Wednesday, 30 March, so Anton could meet Australian animals during his trip.
The group organised a Magic Moment, to get up close to Kangaroo Island Red Kangaroos.
Though Claudina fed the kangaroos and gave them a pat, Anton cuddled close to his grandmother.
Mr Chester said the tumour had damaged Anton’s lungs and heart function, and that he was on the mend, putting on five kilograms since the surgery.
“Everything else, once they took it out, his lungs started working, his renal system’s working, his bowels, all that, came back to normal,” he said.
“Once they’re happy with the chemo, that hopefully got it all and there’s no sign of it, we’ll take him home.”
Anton and Claudina are staying in Wheelers Hill with Rotarians Dianne and Bill Sides while he recovers.
Children are brought to Australia by ROMAC to have life-saving or life-changing surgery that cannot be received in their country, due to lack of facilities.
For more information, visit www.romac.org.au.
