Family of boy with massive tumor on face pleading for medical help

By Finley Mackenzie via SWNS

UK medics are being urged to help a nine-year-old with a severe tumor that is taking over his face.

Simbarashe Dande developed the malignant tumor aged three - but it has grown significantly and he is now unable to go to school or see properly.

He has exhausted all treatment available in Africa where he lives - and now his extended family, who live in the UK, have launched a campaign to save his life.

His aunt, Violet Makunike, 53, from Birmingham, West Midlands, has raised nearly half of the £40,000 she needs to bring him to the UK for treatment - before it's too late.

Some of the donations have come from kind-hearted Brits eager to help little Simbarashe who has trouble breathing and eating due to the growing tumor.

Violet said: "Everyone says he's cursed.

"It makes us so sad to watch him struggling in pain.

"He can't play with the kids or live a normal life.

''He can only eat soft food but he struggles to swallow.

"He can barely talk and he needs assistance to dress.

"He needs help or he will die."

In March 2015, Simbarashe was born with a wart on the right side of his face that slowly started to grow.

His mom, Maria, and his late dad, Thompson, sought medical support and doctors diagnosed the boy with osteosarcoma in the maxillofacial region.

During this time, Simbarashe, who was living in Zimbabwe, was unable to go to school due to the other children being frightened by his tumor.

Violet said: "All of the neighbors suggested that he was cursed.

"They were terrified of their kids catching the curse.

"Everyone was really upset and disturbed.

"They couldn't leave their home without looks.

"Everyone was constantly staring and making them feel lonely. "

His terrified parents raised over $17,000 through fundraising which paid for him to go from Zimbabwe to South Africa for medical help in November 2020.

On top of chemotherapy, surgeons removed a part of the tumor in the hope of slowing down its growth - but it didn't work long-term.

Simbarashe's dad passed away due to an infection in December 2020, leaving Maria to raise their son alone.

Violet, a teaching assistant, said: "It would be incredibly devastating to lose him.

"We've put everything into raising awareness and fundraising.

"He deserves to live a normal life.

''We hoped that everything would get better.

"We want him to live without suffering.

''Maria really wants her son to be healthy and for it to stop plaguing the family.

"But as time went on the tumor started to grow again."

Over the following five years, the tumor grew rapidly and the doctors were forced to fit Simbarashe with a breathing tube.

Despite not going to school, Maria is homeschooling her son and he enjoys watching his brother, Tatande, seven, watch football.

His family are raising money via GoFundMe for him to travel to the UK for life-saving surgery that will remove the tumor.

Violet said: "Everyone is worried about his health.

"We don't want to lose him after working so hard to raise awareness.

"We don't know how much longer he will live in this condition.

"No ones given us a time or date that he could die.

"He's a beautiful bright boy that doesn't deserve this pain.

"He use to be cheerful and talkative but recently he's been very quiet.

"His tumor obstructs ability to talk with us.

''We just want him well so he can live a happy life.''