The Tribune

By KEILE CAMPBELL

Tribune Staff Reporter

kcampbell@tribunemedia.net

A FAMILY is calling for support for a young man who went from being an honour roll student to lying helpless in a hospital bed, unable to move his legs.

17-year-old Nathan Bandelier has been diagnosed with Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS), a rare neurological disorder where the body’s immune system mistakenly attacks the peripheral nerves – and now faces a battle to walk again. He faces surgeries that could cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Natasha Gibson, Nathan’s sole parent and primary caregiver, said Nathan now has blood circulation and feeling restored but he suffers from a fusion of his hips to the joint, and requires surgeries for a hip replacement necessary to facilitate his ability to walk again and an Achilles tendon lengthening, which will require surgery on his right foot to straighten it.

Ms Gibson said the surgeries are estimated to cost nearly $100,000 at Health City in Cayman Islands and almost $200,000 at the Cleveland Clinic, covering both the hip replacement and the Achilles surgery.

Ms Gibson said Nathan started experiencing symptoms “after Christmas about the 31st [of December]” when he went to the beach with his cousin from the US and according to Nathan it was “extremely difficult to get up”.

She recalled: “He began experiencing a severe headache. They picked me up from work and he was lying down on the seat saying his head hurt. He stayed in bed. I went to work the following night and came home in the early morning only to find him colllapsed on the floor and saturated in urine. He had tried to walk to the bathroom. From there, this journey began.”

He was referred to Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH) by the Medi Centre. There he was diagnosed to have GBS and was admitted to the ICU where “his condition got progressively worse”.

She said: “He was experiencing ascending paralysis. He was subsequently intubated and was there for ten days then moved on the ward. There his body was still traumatized, [by] high fevers and respiratory issues.”

She said her son stayed in PMH for two months where he had an MRI “prior to discharge and after discharge which is now normal”.

She added: “My son is an honour roll student at Jordan Prince William on scholarship. He was supposed to graduate in June of this year. That has not happened so it has been very challenging for him to cope with this life-changing event as he went from a healthy teenager to being sick and now in a wheelchair unable to do normal things like just going to the bathroom and having to wear pampers.”

Ms Gibson said: “It is hard for him. All of his friends graduated, and he hasn’t. He is outgoing, funny and super smart. But it still is a serious life-changing event which is not easy to cope with. He is no longer independent, simple things are not simple anymore. Can’t go out with friends and they have moved on. It is hard.”

She added: “I cry thinking about this entire journey but yet I am grateful to God for upholding me. I cry thinking about how Nathan must feel. How if I only could have found a way to have insurance coverage then maybe this wouldn’t have been so hard. Makes me feel like I failed my child.”

The family faces ongoing expenses for Nathan’s care, including supplies such as diapers and bed pads, and relies on donations from coworkers and fundraising efforts from family members.

Ms Gibson said the situation is hard, but she has to “push through”. She told of an experience when Nathan had to stay on an adult ward because according to Ms Gibson there aren’t any accommodations for pediatric patients aged 13-17.

She said: “As a result he was on a ward where a lot of older men were. He experienced someone dying on the bed next to him and in his two months there about five people died. That is not easy for a young person.”

The Tribune received a copy of a letter signed by Nathan’s former homeroom teacher and vice principal of Jordan Prince William Baptist School, addressed to Minister of Health and Wellness Dr Michael Darville, dated in February this year.

It describes an “exceptional student” that “exemplifies dedication, leadership and service” while mentioning that Nathan, throughout his high school life, has consistently earned honour roll and principal’s list distinctions every term, having received the Ministry of Education’s award for Most Outstanding BJC Performance in 2021.

The letter read: “Beyond the classroom, Nathan enthusiastically engages in sports culture and service. He is well respected by all faculty for his warmth humour and guidance. In short, Nathan represents exactly the caliber of student that we hoped to develop. I have no doubt he is destined for a tremendous success.”

The letter appealed to the health minister for financial assistance considering his exemplary accomplishments, adding that the ministry’s backing of Nathan means “backing the promise of the next generation”.

For anyone wanting to offer support, contact 395-1093.