A Phoenix community is rallying around eight-year-old Ethan Maharaj, who has been diagnosed with a brain tumour and whose family has been told he may have limited time.
Ethan’s family first became concerned after noticing that one of his eyes had developed a squint. Over the past two weeks, his speech and ability to carry out everyday activities began to deteriorate.
His condition worsened last week, and he is now receiving care at Albert Luthuli Hospital while awaiting an MRI.
Ethan’s mother, Kelly Nair, says the diagnosis came as a devastating shock to the family.
“On Monday, we get the news that Ethan has a brain tumour on his brain stem, which is somewhere that no one can operate. There is no treatment for it. Basically, it's a no-go zone,” Nair said.
Despite his condition, Ethan remains hopeful of returning home and getting back to the activities he enjoys.
Nair describes her son as a kind-hearted child who wants to help others.
“Ethan is, like every mother will say, he has a heart of gold. As small as he is, the first thing he says is that when he gets better, he's gonna go out and feed the poor,” she said.
The family says they have been overwhelmed by the support from the Phoenix community, with residents coming together in prayer and offering their support.
Nair says the family is now holding onto hope and believes Ethan knows how much he is loved.
“The only thing we can do now is pray. He knows he's loved. He knows that there's so much of people praying for him and waiting for him to come home. He knows that.”
The community is continuing to pray for Ethan and is calling on people and organisations to join them in supporting the family as they hope for a breakthrough.