The Cayman Islands community has rallied around 4-year-old Kody Ebanks and his family, taking their US$50,000 fundraising drive for his cancer treatment over the 50% mark during the Christmas holiday.
Kody’s father Kervin Ebanks, speaking with the Compass from Miami on Friday morning, said the community support for his family has been touching and has helped ease some of the financial burden weighing on his mind.
“It definitely gives [me] hope that whenever we need something, it’s gonna be a little bit easier. I’ve seen one of the doctor’s bills and it’s the type of doctor’s bill that kind of makes you want to drop down, but hopefully everything works out,” he said.
The Cayman Compass highlighted Kody’s story last month and his battle with a rare form of cancer called acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, known as ALL.
Kody, who was diagnosed with cancer in November, is being treated at the Nicklaus Children’s Hospital in Miami and has been undergoing rigorous therapy.
As of 18 Dec., US$8,920 in donations had been raised out of an initial target of US$50,000.
Following the Compass story, that tally had passed US$26,000.
When contacted Friday morning, Ebanks expressed surprise at the significant jump in donations on their GoFundMe page over Christmas, saying that he had not checked the drive as of this week.
“Thanks to anybody who’s ever sent any type of donation, and … felt the need to support us and help us,” he said.
Touching gesture
He said he has been touched by the number of people who have reached out to him, especially people he never thought would contact him.
“The support has been really good,” he added, saying that they welcome any type of assistance from the community.
Ebanks said he is not the type to reach out for help and was battling it on his own, “but when you are in a certain situation, you kind of got to swallow the pride and the ego and all that stuff”.
He said this is about giving his son a fighting chance and the response has shown “the importance of life and children”.
He said the year has already started on a hopeful note for the family as they have received positive signs from Kody’s most recent blood tests.
“He is doing a lot better,” he said.
The tests, he said, have shown a decrease in cancer cells and an increase in healthy cells.
“Let’s put it this way, it was one [healthy cell] out of 12 [cells]. Now it’s eight out of 12, so it’s eight times better now to put it that way. It’s really looking good and we are hoping that the recession of it happens faster, rather than later, and that will be the best result at this point,” he said.
He said it was a “mentally taxing” Christmas season, being away from family and friends, but “we made it work”.
He said Kody has a tough road ahead.
Ebanks said this week Kody had his last lumbar puncture treatment, which is administered in his spine, and he is recovering.
They are keeping their spirits high, he said, and hoping when they return to the hospital next week that they will have an indication of next steps and a tentative timeline for their return home.
He said Kody will most likely miss the start of the school term, but he is looking forward to being home with his friends in Cayman.
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