He was not supposed to live beyond age 17, according to his doctors.
Today, Wainworth Foster, 38, works tirelessly to provide for his daughter.
A trained welder, farmer and a vendor who peddles produce in the Spalding Market in Clarendon, Foster is now seeking assistance to finance the desperately needed surgery required to correct his heart condition.
At age nine, he was diagnosed with rheumatic fever –— an inflammatory disease that begins with strep throat. From this he developed rheumatic heart disease, which, as explained by the World Heart Federation, is a complication of rheumatic fever wherein connective tissues throughout the body, especially in the heart, joints, brain and skin, are affected.
Heart damage caused by rheumatic fever is not readily noticeable. According to World Heart Federation, rheumatic fever has the ability to cause fibrosis of heart valves, leading to crippling valvular heart disease, heart failure, and death.
“One of me heart valve gone and the other one, it on it way. Them (doctors) say the pressure deh pan one valve now,” Foster told the
Jamaica Observer last week while holding his chest.
He was on medication since nine years old to control the effects of his illness, but at 15 his doctor instructed that he discontinue the medication “because them say me definitely never need it”.
But late last year, after participating in a convention at his church in the parish, Foster recounted feeling uneasy and an urge to visit the doctor for a check up.
“Me go doctor, me still nuh hear weh dem want me fi hear. Dem only a tell me say probably a muscle strain an’ ting and me a say no sah, to how me feel, that a no it. So me go back, me go back, an’ the third time me go back a doctor, the doctor say, ‘Mr Foster, me ago sen’ you go do some tests because you a go up inna age.‘ An a right there so me get fi understand say it on its way but God is in control still,” Foster stated of his ordeal.
“This surgery should a do in December enuh, so when me go back up there (UHWI) January them say it definitely have to deal with soon. Them give me some pill fi tek, because them say it strenuous on the heart and the doctor say he don’t want the heart to get enlarged,” explained Foster.
In light of his illness, he said he has had to “cut back” on his activities.
“Me affi cut back on everything because the yam ground over there and me cya dig no yam hill again because, based on the condition, me nuh want put no pressure on it,” the farmer noted while pointing to a section on his farm where he has peppers, tomatoes, cane and plantains.
“Me cya do welding again because when me weld the fumes affect me. Me stop welding about roughly a year yah now,” he continued.
The issue has also affected his family relations.
“It affect me big time ‘cause right now me play a big role in my daughter life. Me daughter do GSAT (Grade Six Achievement Test) this year and when me say play big role, me play big role in her life. because all like today (Thursday), on sports day me would participate wid her, train her and ting. When her mother call me back today and say ‘she gone vex ‘cause she expect you fi come’ but me did tell her yesterday say it nah go make because what me find this week a jus fi send fi her, couldn’t pay fare wid that ,” the father stated, noting that his daughter wishes to follow in the footsteps of Jamaican sprint queen Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce.
Foster is to do his operation at the University Hospital of the West Indies. He is hoping that by next month — his next scheduled visit — he will be able to have the deposit for the operation.
He told the
Sunday Observer that a total of roughly $1.4 million was needed — $840,000 for hospital fees, $25,000 for equipment and $559,948 (US $4,370) to secure the valve replacement kit.
An 80 per cent deposit is required before the surgery.
“I am asking for your kind assistance towards making this surgery possible”.
To assist Foster, persons may contribute by depositing money at National Commercial Bank, account number 402597984 or to his hospital account, with registration number 767568.