By Abubakarr Harding
Vista Bank Sierra Leone has provided support to the tune of US$1,000 to help finance the medical surgery of Lovetta Goba in Senegal and purchased Chabra Shunts for Baby Elizabeth Turay and others at US $1,400 in India and shipped via DHL.
It could be recalled that this medium few weeks ago published an article in which it was stated that the Sick Pikin Project officially partnered with Vista Bank Ltd Sierra Leone to save the lives of sick children in Sierra Leone whose parents cannot afford to pay for their medical bills.
The partnership with the bank was aimed at providing financial support to sick children being brought to the Sick Pikin Project seeking medical help.
Against that backdrop, Vista Bank Ltd Sierra Leone has provided its first set of financial help and 11-year-old Lovetta Goba, who is suffering from Neurofibromatosis Type One and is currently in Dakar, Senegal for a proposed medical surgery, has become the bank’s first beneficiary since the official partnership. The US$1,000, it was learnt, will be used to attend to Lovetta’s medical treatment and pay for other related expenses.
It must be noted that Lovetta received similar support from donations by the Sick Pikin Project US chapter, DIC Foundation and Friends of Transit. Her initial estimate was Le 33 million Leones but such went over board as Le 60 million Leones has already been spent so far because of the new conditions discovered by the treating team.
Lovetta Goba has a massive tumor which blocks the normal flow of her brain fluid causing hydrocephalus and has resulted in an uncontrollable and consistent severe headache, vomiting, and other neurological defects which may kill her if she does not undergo surgery. But with the support from Vista Bank Ltd and other donor partners, it is hopeful that she will come out of the surgery successfully and return home safe, sound, hale and hearty.
Vista Bank SL Ltd also provided additional support worth US$1,400 to other sick children like Elizabeth Turay, which has been spent on shunts.
A shunt is a hollow tube surgically placed in the brain (or occasionally in the spine) to help drain cerebrospinal fluid and redirect it to another location in the body where it can be reabsorbed.
Vista Bank Ltd has proved to be a champion in not only financial service delivery but also corporate social responsibility. The bank has pledged to continue to support the cause of the Sick Pikin Project in saving the lives of severely sick children in Sierra Leone.
It is expected that the partnership with Vista Bank Ltd will, hopefully, give back life to the children and restore lost hopes.
“We are sincerely and heartily grateful for such an important partnership with a bank that is keen to serve humanity, enliven lives, and save the lives of children who are future leaders of this country and the continent of Africa,” the Lead Coordinator of the Sick Pikin Project, Ishmael Alfred Charles expressed gratitude adding that the partnership will continue for as long as it can as they strive to save lives and restore hopes where there is none.
