By Kudakwashe Ruwende
Former Studio 263 actress Pretty Xaba, who left the country a fortnight ago, is scheduled to undergo chemotherapy and radiotherapy this week with doctors expected to perform the surgical procedures later as they monitor the size of her cancerous growth.
Xaba is being attended at BLK Super Specialty Hospital in Delhi, India, where she is receiving treatment for cancer of the oesophagus.
A family representative said Xaba is responding well to medication but is likely to spend more time in India following the prolonged surgical procedures.
“When the initial diagnosis was done, that she was to be operated on, the doctors had not seen the patient.
“When she checked in, the size of the tumour as well as her weight, did not give much room for a procedure to be carried out. So in the meantime, chemotherapy and radiotherapy will be administered this week as doctors monitor her situation. They will operate her later as it is still too risky to operate her now.
“Doctors are saying the growth is too big to operate now so they want it to shrink first. She is currently responding well to treatment but she is definitely going to spend time undergoing the chemo-radiotherapy sessions.
“She will have chemo-radiotherapy for one and a half months then have another month for recovery before going for a scan, which will determine whether surgery can be done to remove the growth,” said the family member.
Though family members are grateful for the help they have received so far from well-wishers, they have highlighted that assistance is still welcome as the surgical process will take longer than had been anticipated.
“We are concerned about the depletion of funds at the moment because Pretty is going to stay in India for longer than we had budgeted for.
“We are grateful for all the help we received from different people, but we are still appealing for more help as Pretty is going to be in India for an extended time,” he said.
Pretty, who was discharged on Monday from hospital, as a continued stay in the hospital was expensive, will be readmitted when the surgery begins.
The hospital has facilitated cheaper accommodation for her as she receives chemo-radiotherapy as an outpatient.
People who donated to Xaba’s cause include Prophetic Healing and Deliverance Ministries (PHD) leader Walter Magaya, NetOne, Standard Chartered Highlands branch staff, PSI staff members, Jenny Musonza Foundation, Affirmative Action Group, Fawcett Security and the public. The Sunday Mail
