Father, son reunite to fight cancer

 By GABRIEL LAHOC

AFTER many years apart, a father has been reunited and is spending quality time with his son who is battling cancer at the Angau General Hospital in Lae.

Michael Kora Kinge from Chimbu, is nursing his sick son, Peter, whom he had not seen in the past 16 years.

Peter was born on Oct 10, 1988, at the Crusher settlement in Goroka. 

He was abandoned by his mother six weeks after his birth and was left with his grandparents.

Four mothers who lived nearby and had just given birth to their own babies, agreed to take turns breastfeeding Peter.

Michael, a former soldier, was at that time attached with the Goroka Teachers College. 

On his transfer to the University of Papua New Guinea in Port Moresby in 1995, he took his son with him and enrolled him in school. They returned to Goroka in 1996.

When Michael got a new wife, Peter was not happy and fled to Lae where he grew up among relatives. 

They lived among the Chimbu community at Boinamo settlement located behind the Kamkumung market.

Described as a kind young man who was always ready to assist others by his commuinty, he was nicknamed Ipatas (after Enga Governor Peter Ipatas) because of his kind and giving nature.

Michael followed the progress of his son and tried to convince him to come back and live with him in Goroka. Peter refused.

Last year however, Peter, now 25, was diagnosed with cancer of the tongue and was admitted at the Goroka Base Hospital on Oct 30.

Concerned dad Michael came to visit him. 

He found out that doctors were against operating on him and kept him on 40mg of oral methotrexate once weekly.

Dad and son are united again and determined to fight the cancer together. 

They were referred to the National Cancer Treatment Centre at Lae where Peter is on chemotherapy as a prerequisite to radiotherapy. 

He is due for scanning.

Oncologist Dr John Niblett had recommended that a more advanced treatment on Peter could only be carried out in Luzon city, Philippines.

Michael and Peter have started a fundraising drive and are asking people to assist them. 

They have set up BSP account 1013118664 for that purpose. They can be contacted on 7356 8278.

Peter and his dad Michael will really appreciate any help to get through this obstacle which, ironically, had brought them back together.