Three-year-old girl needs help for surgery
The plight of a three-year-old girl, Latifa Karim, in Zoosali, a village in the Savelugu-Nantong Municipality in the Northern Region, is worsening by the day as her family struggles to raise the amount needed for surgery.
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The family has, therefore, appealed to individuals, philanthropists, financial institutions and benevolent organisations to help Latifa undergo retinoblastoma (cancer of the eye) surgery which will cost GH¢10,000.
Latifa's family who are very poor, made the appeal to the public through the Daily Graphic's office in Tamale in the Northern Region, and are also appealing for more support to cater for child’s post-operative care after the surgery.
Her condition deteriorated following the inability of her parents to raise GH¢8,000 to enable her to undergo a chemotherapy after her cancerous eye was first operated on at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi in 2016.
Latifa underwent a retinoblastoma surgery at KATH in 2016 but needed to follow it up with chemotherapy to prevent the growth of the cancer cells.
However, her poor parents, who are both peasant farmers, could not raise the money for Latifa to undergo the chemotherapy, thus making her condition deteriorate.
History
According to Latifa’s parents, she enjoyed a seemingly healthy childhood life with her twin sister until the sickness surfaced about seven months ago.
They sought initial treatment at the Walewale District Hospital and later at the Tamale West Hospital (TWH).
However, the situation demanded referral and they went to KATH in Kumasi, where an operation was carried out on the eye. The operation, according to the parents, cost about GH¢2,000 and was borne by them with virtually all their resources.
Doctor's view
Speaking in an interview with the Daily Graphic, Dr Gloria Gogo, an Ophthalmic Specialist at the TWH said Latifa's current condition was due to the fact that her first operation was not followed by a chemotherapy, thus leading to the outgrowth of her eye.
She said the cost of the second surgery and chemotherapy was GH¢8,000 with subsidiary and unforeseen expenditure expected to increase the cost to an amount of GH¢10,000.
Donations towards Latifa's surgery can be made through the Graphic Needy Fund: 1061130003469 or any of the Graphic offices in parts of the country or call 0302665209, for further information.
