ST. ANN, JAMAICA (DESPERATE FINANCIAL HELP IS NEEDED): Family SHAKERA FACEY of baffled by huge lump on teen's shoulder.... Doctor says I have a 50/50 chance, says teen.... she was told that the machine at KPH to do the required computerised tomography (CT scan) was out of operation and would not be up and running until January. Unable to wait, she decided to go the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI), armed with only $7,000 that she could put together, and made arrangements to pay the remaining $27,000 later.

BY DONNA HUSSEY-WHYTE Sunday Observer staff reporter husseyd@jamaicaobserver.com  Sunday, February 01, 2015    

SHAKERA Facey is trying her best to remain hopeful.

But a huge mass which started to grow on her left shoulder five months ago is weighing her down both physically and mentally, to the point where her hope is waning thin.

Shakera Facey and her dad

So large is the mass that it has outgrown the size of the teen, preventing her from moving around on her own, or even showering herself.

The family said that despite a number of visits to private doctors and hospitals, so far no one seems to know for sure what has caused the swelling or what should be done about it.

Shakera, who turned 19 last Tuesday, said that it all began in June last year when she was working as a bartender in St Ann's Bay, and went outside to dispose of garbage. During the process, she slipped, and broke her fall by catching herself on her left arm which she said twisted under her 200-pound weight.

After a few days she started feeling pain in her shoulder and a small swelling developed.

A few weeks later, the pain was so bad that she had to visit St Ann's Bay Hospital.

Shakera Facey

She was given medication and a date to return. When she went back she was told that she could do one of three things -- a minor surgery whereby doctors would put an instrument inside her arm to see what was happening; take more medication for the pain and swelling; or do physiotherapy.

She chose physiotherapy.

The therapist gave her something for the swelling, but this, she said, did not work, therefore she was encouraged to do an x-ray in early September. more