SAVANNA-LA-MAR, Westmoreland — Young Javier Forrester, the now 11-year-old bone cancer patient whose mother recently made an appeal for help, is well on his way to receiving a prosthetic leg.

“Since the story was published by the Jamaica Observer , I have gotten a lot of calls from all over the world. It is quite pleasing to know that persons are really taking part in helping him recover from this disease,” said his mother, Iesha Vickers.

Help, she added, has come in the form of monetary donations as good Samaritans have been actively trying to ensure that Forrester can “live a normal childhood”.

“An anonymous person has donated $350,000 to Surgix Jamaica Ltd to go towards his prosthesis, and I have also paid $200,000 since then,” she said. “That $200,000 is also from donations we have received. We have actually received a total of $550,000 in donations so far.”

The cost of the prosthetic leg is said to be $750,000 and is being sourced through Surgix Jamaica Ltd.

The family has also started a GoFundMe account to assist with Forrester’s medical expenses as they try to navigate the additional challenges brought on by the coronavirus pandemic.

“I started a GoFundMe on Monday, my cousin actually set up one for Javier. We haven’t gotten many donations, only one so far, but we’re still hoping that it goes further to help with his medical expenses because we have to do MRIs and CT scans. Every three months and every six months we have to do bone scans,” Vickers said.

Moved by the donations already received, including that from the anonymous donor who provided $350,000, Vickers said she will be forever grateful to everyone who has helped.

She lauded her son for his overall strength and positivity throughout the past few months since his diagnosis and the start of his chemotherapy.

“Overall, I would say he is doing [well], apart from when he does chemotherapy; but after two or three days he is up and about again. He will be online doing his classes and just trying to fit in,” she said.

She noted that Forrester’s last chemotherapy session was on his 11th birthday, February 23, 2021. While they did not celebrate this special day because he did not feel well after chemo, the family intends to mark this milestone as soon as he is feeling stronger.

Last September, Forrester, a grade five student of Salem Primary and Junior High School, was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a common form of bone cancer that mostly affects young children and adolescents.

Two days after his diagnosis his left leg was amputated in an effort to decrease the chances of the cancer spreading. He was only 10 years old at the time.