GP Run just the tonic for sick boy

By Sarah Schwager
A MAURITIAN boy and his family had the time of their lives when they visited the MRA Cranbourne GP Run on Saturday.
Little Emmanuel Francois, 5, flew to Australia earlier this month to receive treatment after developing meningitis.
On 27 July, the News reported that Emmanuel and his family would stay with his aunt, Cranbourne woman Marie Williams, while he is treated at the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital in Melbourne.
Emmanuel and his mother, Jenny Abdul, father, Roddy Francois, both nurses, and sister Daphne are from Rodrigues, a small island 560km east of Mauritius, which does not have the appropriate medical facilities that he needs.
Ms Williams said the family had enjoyed themselves at the GP Run.
“My brother (Roddy) said he had never seen anything like that,” she said.
“They certainly don’t have events like that in Rodrigues.”
Now Emmanuel will begin his treatment at the hospital.
Because he was not diagnosed with meningitis straight away, the disease caused significant damage, leaving him with brain damage and the loss of hearing in both ears. His eyesight and speech were also affected.
Emmanuel had his first appointment last week and will today (Thursday) find out whether he is completely deaf or not.
He will then find out whether he needs a cochlear implant, an artificial hearing device designed to produce hearing sensations by electrically stimulating nerves inside the inner ear.
In the meantime, the family is desperately trying to raise money for the procedure and preliminary appointments.
“We are all helping,” Ms Williams said. “All the family and friends.”
She said today’s appointment cost $3000.
“But if he does need the cochlear implant I don’t know what we will do.”
If Emmanuel is eligible to have the procedure, the whole cochlear implant will cost $74,000.
A mother of four, Ms Williams does not work yet is prepared to house the family for the year that the procedure would take.
To donate to the Emmanuel Francois Fund, contact Marie on 5995 7351 or Roddy on 0405 524 014.