Life-saving bone marrow transplant
Donation protected
I met Gifty and her father, Charles, in 2014. She is now 12 years old and lives in the town of Bertoua, in the rainforest region of East Cameroon.
She suffers from severe sickle cell anaemia, a painful and debilitating blood condition. Up to 90% of children with the condition across Africa do not live to see their 18th birthday.*
It has already left her partially paralysed after a stroke and, when attacks of the condition occur, Gifty is left in excruciating pain and often unable to walk. At the moment there is a risk her foot will have to be amputated because of a severe infection, which the condition makes her very vulnerable to.
Charles explained to me that he and his wife gave Gifty her name because she was a gift, coming into the world after they had lost three sons in their childhood to complications of sickle cell anaemia.
In rural Cameroon medical care is nearly impossible for people to access, and very expensive when they can. Gifty regularly needs blood transfusions, and just one can cost nearly a month's income for her family.
But there is a hope of a life-saving cure, with a bone marrow transplant abroad. Gifty's sisters Naomi and Brenda are prepared to donate their bone marrow in the hope that, if the transplant is a success, she will never have to suffer these attacks again and will have the chance to live a long life.
Her father and I made this page together – all the funds will go directly to the cost of the operation, travel and accommodation fees. Please donate whatever you can and help give Gifty a future.
*Wonkam, A. & Makani, J. 2019. Sickle cell disease in Africa: an urgent need for longitudinal cohort studies. The Lancet. Volume 7, Issue 10, E1310-E1311.
She suffers from severe sickle cell anaemia, a painful and debilitating blood condition. Up to 90% of children with the condition across Africa do not live to see their 18th birthday.*
It has already left her partially paralysed after a stroke and, when attacks of the condition occur, Gifty is left in excruciating pain and often unable to walk. At the moment there is a risk her foot will have to be amputated because of a severe infection, which the condition makes her very vulnerable to.
Charles explained to me that he and his wife gave Gifty her name because she was a gift, coming into the world after they had lost three sons in their childhood to complications of sickle cell anaemia.
In rural Cameroon medical care is nearly impossible for people to access, and very expensive when they can. Gifty regularly needs blood transfusions, and just one can cost nearly a month's income for her family.
But there is a hope of a life-saving cure, with a bone marrow transplant abroad. Gifty's sisters Naomi and Brenda are prepared to donate their bone marrow in the hope that, if the transplant is a success, she will never have to suffer these attacks again and will have the chance to live a long life.
Her father and I made this page together – all the funds will go directly to the cost of the operation, travel and accommodation fees. Please donate whatever you can and help give Gifty a future.
*Wonkam, A. & Makani, J. 2019. Sickle cell disease in Africa: an urgent need for longitudinal cohort studies. The Lancet. Volume 7, Issue 10, E1310-E1311.
Organizer
Fred Weyman
Organizer