Hamilton Mountain community holds fundraiser for child with rare disease

A kid should be a kid, is what a group of people on Hamilton Mountain are saying about a child who lives in their neighborhood suffering from a rare disease.

That’s why they held a fundraiser Saturday to help raise money for her very expensive medication that her family cannot afford.

Seven-year-old Cena Hermus has POMC deficiency which causes obesity at an early age.

Her father says her treatment costs an overwhelming $400 thousand dollars and they simply can’t afford it.

When she should be outside playing with her family and friends, seven-year-old Cena Hermus is typically watching from her front steps or inside because of her rare condition, POMC Deficiency, which causes severe obesity at an early age.

Her father Abrihem Hermus says Cena requires a medication called Setmelanotide that helps weight management for individuals with obesity caused by specific genetic disorders but it comes with a hefty price tag, one that he and his family can’t afford because they are refugees from Syria.

“She needs medicine, but I don’t take medicine because it’s very expensive. Do you know how much it cost? Yeah $300,000 American dollars” Abrihem said.

That’s where her community comes in.

After learning of Cena’s disease people who live in the complex at 14 derby street on the east mountain decided to organize a fundraiser Saturday that has taken various form to help the Hermus family with their financial burden.

“It breaks my heart because she’s supposed to be a kid. She’s seven, she’s supposed to play, right? We’re having a bake sale, so our neighbor spent the whole week baking, and then we’re having a barbecue. We got sausages, we got hot dogs, we have a raffle for all the goodies and then all the rest of the stuff is from the community. We have a bunch of units in our survey that put all their stuff together and they donated all this stuff for the garage sale” organizers said.

The organizers say they raised about 12 hundred dollars and will also be giving away a pair of Forge FC tickets.

People who came out to support say it was very important for them to do what they can.

“I think just as a local Hamiltonian, I think it’s super important to just be involved in our community and love others the way that God loves us.  I couldn’t imagine a better way to spend my Saturday by giving back to this family and to the daughter” an attendee said.

As for Cena’s family, her father says he’s grateful for all the support.