By Amin Kef (Ranger)
The Sick Pikin Project has once more succeeded in saving the life of a young girl who otherwise would have continued to suffer in pain, shame and probably would have died prematurely.
Indeed, it is normal to see a cute little baby girl who smiles all the time. However, it is strange to see such a girl who cannot even keep her head upright first before one start considering why she’s not as smiley as other little girls of her age. Three-year-old Umu George is such a rare girl.
Baby Umu was born with a little lump on her neck. Her low-income family parents from Sindikoh Village, Kono District Eastern Sierra Leone, wouldn’t have imagined the kind of torture which that tiny congenital bulge would bring to their baby’s life until it began to increase rapidly in size as Umu grew older. After three years, medical reports measured Umu’s neck lump at around ‘21×12 centimeters; that small tumor had grown enormously, such that it occupied her entire neck. As Umu George’s condition worsened, she could not eat and on most days, she could not sleep either and sometimes throws up a lot. Life had become constant torture for her.
Even though Umu’s case was first registered to The Sick Pikin Project, it was without any clear details and substance as there was much misinformation about her condition, until Sister Ezzatu Josiah who championed her case and brought it for proper registration thereby enabling access to Umu. Through this point of contact, The Sick Pikin Project shared pictures and stories of Umu’s pitiful situation on all its social media handles, which timely attempt brought heightened awareness about how direly little Umu was in need of immediate medical attention.
What Umu suffered from looks like what is commonly called ‘geh-geh’ in Sierra Leone and it is sometimes believed to be a supernatural condition. But through the support of Sister Ezzatu, she was brought to Freetown for medical attention. The certified medical diagnosis of Umu’s neck tumor revealed that she suffered from a condition termed ‘‘Cervical Teratoma’’. The recommendation by the medical doctors was that the child required a possible surgery overseas to “optimize her wellbeing and growth potentials”.
Many efforts were employed, a GoFundMe account was created and The Sick Pikin Project along with the Kumba Nganga Alli Foundation based in the UK helped to raise funds, however, the total amount that was raised was 1,696 British Pounds Sterling. The Fundraising was really slow and even the Ministry of Health and Sanitation was approached but it was still a snail’s pace and Umu’s pains were becoming unbearable.
The Sick Pikin Project then reached out to Mercy Ship requesting for help but that was taking a lot of time until the intervention of Dr. Sandra Lakoh began to look into the case. After several discussions and reviews done in Freetown by Dr. Sandra Lakoh, the medical crew in the Ship used the scans and reports to do some preliminary assessments before eventually inviting the Lead Campaigner and Co-founder Ishmeal Alfred Charles to travel with Umu, her mother and the Niece of Sister Ezzatu.
So arrangements were made for Umu George to undergo a surgical operation on board the Mercy Ship’s floating Hospital Ships currently in Senegal. The funds raised on the GoFundMe were used to cover travels and related expenses even though it was not enough Sister Ezzatu covered the rest, and the surgery was done totally free of charge, remember this surgery would have cost us $15,900 USD.
Umu’s condition had caught the attention of many kind-hearted donors both nationally and internationally. Several generous and love-hearted people were truly touched by this girl’s predicament and they willingly donated to her cause. And so, through the financial support gathered from the Sick Pikin Project committed donors and supporters and the generosity of the Mercy ship, Umu George underwent the surgery which was excellently successful. She has finally said goodbye to that great lump on her neck for life.
In that regard the Sick Pikin Project would like to thank God for Umu George’s life, taking time to celebrate with all of who championed the campaign to save Umu.
The Sick Pikin Project said it considers the Mercy of Hope, Mercy Ship, and their dear Sister Ezzatu Josiah who resides in the United Kingdom (UK) as worthy of reckon. According to the humanitarian organization the latter practically became Umu George’s mother and showed the entire world that love has no boundaries adding that Sister Ezzatu coordinated the Kumba Nganga Alli Foundation in the UK and facilitated the fundraising for Umu’s case.
The Sick Pikin Project expressed thanks to God also for causing their paths to cross with Dr. Sandra Lakoh of Aberdeen Women’s Center Freetown who helped ensure that Umu George met all the requirements for safe surgery in Senegal.
The organization is also grateful to the International Patient Referral Team on the ship and all their amazing professional team of love saying Christ is truly manifested in their actions.
It also extended gratitude to the team at Ola During Children’s Hospital in Freetown, Dr. Neile Bell and Dr. Abubakarr Bah, and the host of other medical and non-medical staffers as they helped to keep Umu alive while she was admitted for over 6 months mistaken.
The Sick Pikin Project also thanked Mercy Ships that give free life-saving surgeries and for even so generous to accommodate and feed Umu George and her attendants while onboard their vessel.
“We acknowledge and appreciate our ever-consistent, generous, and loving donors who have made up their minds to join us on a journey of saving one child at a time,” the Lead Campaigner and Co-founder of the Sick Pikin Project,Ishmael Alfred Charles, delightfully said.
The Sick Pikin Project could be visited via their website: www.sickpikin.org
Or you can follow them on Facebook: The Sick Pikin Project International.
