A dream come true - Ayomide, her mother, and Isaac
Seeing Mrs. Aderele and her two kids, Ayomide and Isaac at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos yesterday morning, one could easily conclude that they were just another family going for vacation. Three year old Isaac had little care as he dashed all over the departure lounge while his mother queued, lugged, and dragged two suicases to check-in for their 2:50 pm flight to Delhi via Dubai at the Emirates counter. But, such is not the case. Any contrary thought would have been simply seeing an aberration.
Ayomide on her part was quite subdued in the company of relarives who had accompanied them. Having endured close to three years of hospitalisation for Leukamia (cancer of the blood), the trip was a last resort to get a bone marrow transplant which holds promise for restoring her health. She knew this, but Isaac, who was traveling with his mother and sister had no inkling where he was going and why?
He was not just going because Ayomide had to go, but because he is the one that is going to be responsible for giving his sister a lifeline - bone marrow, which she needs to combat the leukamia which has seen her waddling in pains in the last three years. At six years old, Ayomide is not too small, but with a protuding belly, one could guess that all might not be well with her. Had someone seen some months back when the shock of curly hair was missing, the person would have appreciated her better.
Cancer, the dreaded medical condition that puts fear into minds of even great men also plague children. And this cancer in children also claims their lives. The Adereles have come so far and should be grateful. This is because not many children even get to the extent of getting the sort of help Ayomide has gotten. But, while Ayomide has started the road to recovery, the fate of many othet children liing with cancer still hangs. "Just on the 13th of December, we lost three children at Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Ikeja," Dr. Nneka Nwobbi, the founder of Children Living With Cancer Foundation (CLWCF) said as she waited while Ayomide's mum checked in.
Mrs. Aderele carrying Ayomide while Dr. Nwobbi carries Isaac shortly before they travelled to India
Cancer is manageable if detected early and it was with the quick intervention of CLWCF that Ayomide's case attracted the financial support which will see her being operated at the Apollo Hospital, near Mumbai, India. Firstly, it was CLWCF, through its advocacy work that influenced the Lagos State government under Barr. Raji Fashola to sponsor the cost of the treatment which is $40, 500. Also, CLWCF was in the fore of providding some of the needed drugs for her chemotherapy treatments as well as funding some routine tests such as the one that saw blood samples of Ayomide's parents and siblings being delivered to Apollo hospital to determine who will be the closests match to donate the marrow.
The treatment, Bone Marrow Transplant, would start by Ayomide receiving a blast of chemotherapy while her immune is purposefully depleted. This is because if her immunity is still good, her cells will fight againts the Marrow cells which would be donated by her brother, Isaac. This dangerous move would then ensure that she is placed in place where she would not be prone to any infections. Though, the process is long and somewhat painful, according to medical experts, it is ussually a last resort. And the very sad part is that the success rate is not encouraging.
As the time neared for the plane to take off, Dr. Nwobbi heaved a sigh of relief. Prayers were wished her, and optimism rented the air. None could afford to think of things that could go wrong. But, my heart was with prayers. Not only for a safe trip for them. But, also to ask for God's healing powers to be on again, not only the Adereles, or the children suffering cancer, but, for every creature with the disconfort of ill-health. may the Lord continually be our strength
There are still children living with cancer that need help. Interested in making donations to the Children Living With Cancer Foundation, you can do that through :
Bank - Diamond Bank
Name of Account - CLWCF
Account No. - 0042010013738
or call Dr. Nwobbi - 08033156908
BONE MARIW TRANSPLANTS treat a variety of blood and bone marrow diseases. In a conventional transplant, a donor and recipient are matched as closely as possible for blood type. The red marrow from the donor is suctioned from the pelvic bone with a long needle attached to a syringe. The marrow sample is treated to remove the donor’s white blood cells, which otherwise would attack the recipient’s tissues. The treated marrow is then given to the recipient through an intravenous infusion, which introduces immature, but healthy, cells into the bloodstream. These cells migrate to the marrow, where they mature and eventually divide, populating the circulatory system with healthy cells. The transplanted stem cells serve as a continual source of healthy cells. While bone marrow transplants are helpful, they cannot always cure a blood or bone marrow disease because the match between donor and recipient is seldom perfect. The immune system of the recipient may attack some of the donor’s cells, which interferes with the benefits of the transplant.
Source: Microsoft Encarta
