As if being diagnosed with cancer was not bad enough, 18-year-old Gary Buchanan has been disowned by his family because of a decision he made to amputate a part of his hand - a decision that has kept him alive so far.

Buchanan's dreams of becoming a leather craftsman were shattered a few months ago when a lump he discovered on his hand, near his wrist, turned out to be cancerous. The decision to cut off his hand below the elbow has estranged him from most of his family, leaving him with nowhere to turn.

lump in wrist

At the time of his diagnosis, Buchanan was a student at a training centre. He told THE STAR that about six months ago, he felt a lump in his wrist. He said it was not painful at the time, so he ignored it. He became concerned, however, when another swelling came up afterwards. "Dis one did have like a vein-look to it and it was discharging some blood-looking thing and it kept growing," he said.

He told THE STAR that he went to the Kingston Public Hospital (KPH) in February and got a return date of July 13. Realising that this was too far way, he visited his personal doctor, Dr Jephthah Ford. He was given a referral to go back to the KPH, where he was treated by Dr Ian McNeill, consultant at the KPH.

For the next few months, Buchanan's family spent more than $100,000 trying to get his condition diagnosed. After two months in the hospital and a battery of tests, his worst fears were confirmed: the lump was cancerous. By this time, THE STAR was told, his hand had almost tripled in size and Buchanan was living a life of pain. He was told that his only option was to amputate his hand.

This decision was hard enough, but Buchanan had added pressure, he told THE STAR. "Mi grandmother seh she woulda done wid mi if mi cut off mi hand."

against amputation

He said his family was against the decision and refused to sign the consent form. Buchanan said his family did not think amputation was the only choice and believed that his illness was not necessarily cancer, but a disease caused by evil spirits. Realising that it was his only chance at survival, he signed the form himself and had the amputation. He said: "Mi see dat di doctor couldn't do anything better fi mi and di doctor seh mi coulda lose mi life an' mi inna pain and cyaan sleep, so mi seh a di best ting dat."

The operation was done last Thursday, and while most people would be released into the care of their families, Buchanan says he has nowhere to go. He told THE STAR that his mother and father have visited him but they have no space at home for him. He lived with his grandmother before the incident, but he told THE STAR that she does not wish to have him back there. "She don't want mi to come back to the house, 'cause mi cut off mi hand, she vex," he said.

Dr Ford told THE STAR that Buchanan will soon have to undergo intensive chemotherapy and this will have debilitating effects on him. He said: "It would be ideal if he could get a house to start by himself. He needs somewhere. He's gonna be sick for a long time and he has no place to go."

When THE STAR contacted Buchanan's grandmother, she said: "Mi nuh want him back inna mi house," before handing the phone to one of Buchanan's aunts. The aunt told THE STAR that his grandmother believed that he should not have amputated his hand.

While THE STAR was speaking with Buchanan's aunt, his grandmother was heard shouting in the background, "Put him inna di fridge, anywhe him hand deh a deh so him fi go."

Anyone willing to help Buchanan may call him at 356-8663.