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Written by Claudia smith 0776-537-732
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Friday, 10 August 2012 05:47 |
A seventeen year- old girl, who is suffering from enlarged heart and a failing liver, is making an SOS call to President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, other government officials and philanthropists for assistance to enable her seek medical attention abroad to regain her health and become productive citizen.
Mabel Boye, a resident of New Kru Town, told the In Profile Daily recently that she has been suffering from the illness which started as a stomach pain since February, 2007.
“I was living in Grand Kru County at the time when I developed persistent stomach pains and was told by a doctor to come to Monrovia for a check- up and get proper treatment”, the ailing lady narrated.
Ms Boye said she could not come to Monrovia immediately per the doctor’s advice due to financial incapability hence she turned to country herbs until 2009 when she was able to move to Monrovia.
According to her, upon arrival in Monrovia in July of 2009, she took chest x-ray at the John F. Kennedy Medical Center and was told that she was suffering from a life threatening heart disease that had caused Cardiomegaly or enlarged heart.
She quoted the doctors as saying that Cardiomegaly is not a disease but rather a symptom of another condition that causes abnormal enlargement of the heart that also affects its muscles.
Due to this condition, Mabel said she suffers from constant fluid buildup that rest in her stomach and chest cave, thus causing her feet to swell as well.
She said doctors at the John F. Kennedy medical Center advised that she be flown either to Ghana or America in order to get the proper treatment. “I want to live and get back to school and grow old to take care of my dad”, Mabel said with tears in her eyes.
“My dad has spent a total of LD 50,000 since I fell sick and there is nowhere for him to turn now for money to underwrite the cost of my medication”.
She disclosed that she has been hospitalized three different times in the space of three years. According to her, doctors normally have to drain some of the fluid from her stomach to keep her alive and that they cannot do more because there is no money.
Mabel said her father; Gabriel Boye, is desperately trying to raise US$15,000 so that she can have a life saving heart operation to save her life. “With an income of only US$50.00 a month, my father finds it difficult to raise the needed amount for my medication,” she noted.
” I have seen people helping sick people in getting medical assistance, and I hope that someone will have mercy and come to my aid to save me from my early grave. I’m too young to die; if anyone has interest in lending a helping hand to me, please contact Gabriel Boye at 05-701-694”, Mabel pleadingly added. |
