For as long as he can remember, Cameron Newbold says if he walked a short distance, he would get tired fast. He thought that was normal. If walking did that to him, imagine the level of fatigue he felt when he ran or rode his bicycle. The 14-year-old thought that was how a healthy person was supposed to feel. He never thought anything was seriously wrong with him. He never knew that he had been born with a hole in his heart that had gotten progressively worse over the years due to the lack of treatment.
Cameron never knew that in the first few months of his life that his deceased mother had taken him for treatments, but for reasons unknown had stopped seeking medical help for her baby. As he grew he chalked up the lethargy he felt on a daily basis as "normal".
But on Labour Day (June 2011), seven months after the death of his mother, the lack of medical attention caught up with the teenager. He had attended the parade with relatives and it was there that he started to feel sicker than he normally did.
" I started to really feel bad. I was feeling really weak and I got really dizzy," he recalled. "When I got home, I was vomiting and it got hard to breathe." An older cousin took Cameron to the hospital, where tests revealed a problem with his heart. It was in failure and he would need emergency surgery. Cameron, who has no insurance, had life-saving open heart surgery on November 22, 2011, funded by the Sir Victor Sassoon (Bahamas) Heart Foundation. The surgery repaired his acute mitral insufficiency, a condition in which a valve doesn't properly close, causing blood to leak into an upper chamber of his heart.
It was a whirlwind of activity by his relatives to save the 14-year-old's life. His aunt and legal guardian Bonnie Solomon hadn't even known about her nephew's condition. Scared at first when she learned he was suffering from heart failure, she said she didn't know how she would be able to afford to get him the medical care he needed. She said it was only by chance that she heard about the Sir Victor Sassoon (Bahamas) Heart Foundation and the work it did for children with heart conditions. Solomon requested assistance of the foundation and Cameron was slotted in to get the help he needed.
Cameron's surgery was performed at the Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital in Fort Lauderdale. Bahamian pediatric cardiologist Dr. Jerome Lightbourne assisted with the surgery.
The now 14-year-old Cameron, an eighth-grade student at T.A. Thompson Junior School, said his illness "coming to a head" and the subsequent surgery was a scary time for him. But he also said it was one of the best experiences of his young life, as he visited the United States for the first time.
"Before going to Fort Lauderdale for the surgery I had never gone away to the States that I remember. It was my first time and I was excited about that. I didn't really see much of the place but it was nice knowing that I was there. I will always remember my surgery because it made me better, but also because I got to see [the U.S.]. My doctors even invited me to come back so I could see how the surgeries are done, since I am starting to be interested in those kinds of things since this experience," he said.
Cameron's co-guardian and cousin Antia Solomon said the experience was life-changing for her, as a parent, because his chances of survival would have been bleak without it.
"Knowing that he can do the things he couldn't do is a great relief. None of this would be if it wasn't for the Sir Victor Sassoon (Bahamas) Heart Foundation," said Solomon. "The procedure would have been done, but when I don't know because of the lack of resources. I'm so grateful and appreciative of them."
Despite the surgery, Cameron still has to be on his toes about his health. The rambunctious junior school student says he now feels more energetic than ever. And he returned to school two weeks ago and was more than anxious to get back to the books. He admits that prior to his surgery he did not have much interest in his education, but given a second chance, he said he can't wait to get back on the "right track".
"I was never so happy to go to school before," he says. "I never used to do my homework or listen to my teachers too much. But now I want to be here so I can learn and be with my friends. I really hope to do better. I used to have a [grade point average] below a 1.00 and I really plan to try harder," he said.
The young man now realizes just how important his education and life are to him. He always thought that there was time and he didn't have to worry about anything, but now he is beginning to understand that he has to make the most of everything he has. Rather than thinking about if he can get the latest bicycle or worrying that he couldn't be a part of his school's sports day, Cameron is appreciating that he can now ride his bike without tiring quickly, and play a game with his friends for longer than a few minutes.
His cousin, Latoya Solomon, 21, is pleased to see the good that came from Cameron's experience. She is glad that he was able to pull through and return to his normal everyday life. Some days she says she can barely believe that he has recovered so quickly.
"It was kind of scary to think that Cameron may not have made it to see 15 years if he didn't get the surgery right away, so seeing him now is good -- especially considering how well he is doing. When he came home after two weeks in the U.S. he never wanted to just sit down and rest. He just came to life and wants to be involved in everything. He really wanted to keep up with his friends and go back to school. He just seemed so focused and ready to try hard. The way he recovered was like he just had a cold and is fine now. I am grateful for what happened to him. He's happy and doing well."
The Sir Victor Sassoon (Bahamas) Heart Foundation is a privately funded charity that raises funds primarily through donations and from the annual Heart Ball held annually in February, and which will be held on Saturday, February 18 at the Sheraton Cable Beach Resort. Over 97 percent of each dollar raised goes directly ot the aid of children.
Donations can be made to the Sir Victor Sassoon (Bahamas) Heart Foundation at P.O. Box N-8189, Nassau, Bahamas.
Antia Solomon says it is absolutely imperative for the public to support the foundation, because they never know when a person they know may need the help. She says she is now aware more than ever how much she must be open to helping others as well.
"You could be helping to save a life. You could be saving the life of the future prime minister, or a future doctor or lawyer," she said. "More importantly, you could also be saving the life of the world's greatest parent to some child. You would not just be helping the parent(s) or the child, but I would also encourage you to help the foundation that is making it possible for some of these kids and parents to go and do these procedures. I would just ask the public to help save a life," she said.
The foundation was established as a living tribute by Lady Sassoon following the death of her husband, Sir Victor Sasson, in 1961, to assist Bahamians with heart disease. Lady Sassoon had asked that instead of sending flowers to honor her husband, that people send a donation to the local heart fund. A few weeks later the hospital called to tell her that a substantial amount of money had been donated in her husband's memory, but that there was no local heart fund. She took it upon herself to create one.
Through the foundation's fundraising efforts, over 4,000 children have been afforded quality medical care. The foundation currently has a list of 11 children that need immediate lifesaving surgery.

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