Mother of three diagnosed with stage 4 cancer faces financial hardship

It took an entire year from the time she fell ill for 61-year-old Mahadai Singh, a mother of three, to be diagnosed with stage four cancer. Just two weeks ago, Singh’s family received the devastating news – the cancer has already spread to her lungs and throat.

Her daughter, Navita, spoke with the News Room about the challenging journey leading to her mother’s diagnosis and the financial struggles her family now faces with immediate and costly treatment needed.

“In [December] 2023, she did a surgery. We don’t know what exactly the doctor did but she did the surgery to take out her uterus and after the surgery she went back to work in December and she fell sick and [couldn’t] walk.

“We carried her to every hospital, both private and public and they keep saying it was a lung infection or her lungs damage,” Navita explained.

Singh worked as a cleaner for 16 years at the Guyana National Stadium and according to her daughter, she contributed to the National Insurance Scheme (NIS). However, after she fell sick and could no longer work, the family was reportedly told that Singh’s contributions were not enough to cover her medical expenses.

“They said that she did not contribute all her contribution and they would give her a $20,000 pay off,” Navita stated.

Documents provided by the family showed Singh’s contribution to NIS over an eleven-year period. While her service appointment proves that she has been employed at the National Stadium since 2009.

Since her illness, Navita said Singh is unable to do anything for herself and cannot eat or drink due to pain.

“She has a mortgage to pay, she has bills to pay and she ain’t getting no assistance from nowhere,” Navita stressed.

The woman’s husband is now disabled after a workplace incident left him with one hand and is also unable to work.

And so, the family is seeking the public’s assistance to help offset the cost for cancer treatment.

“The treatment is like 279,500 for a week but [since] she is not eating or drinking, she is too weak to take the treatment so they advise it is not a possibility she would feel good with it but it would ease the pain,” Navita explained.

“It’s been really hard. We spent over $500,000 last year, and we haven’t gotten any help,” she added.

Anyone willing to assist the family, kindly contact 683 1418 or 608 0390.