Patricia, a pupil of Buoho D/A Primary School in the Afigya Kwabre District in the Ashanti Region, has been on admission at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi since December 2012.

She has not been able to put on footwear since she was born. Her educational progress has also not been smooth.

Doctors say the girl will undergo four operations that will cost about GH¢10,000 before she will be able to wear shoes.

Gigantism is a childhood disorder that causes a child to grow much more than his or her peers, developing an unusually large size.

The bones grow longer and heavier, and the hands and feet also become noticeably larger than usual.

People with gigantism could develop delayed puberty, cardiovascular problems, and other endocrine problems in association with the imbalance of hormones in the body.

In response to an appeal by the parents of Patricia for financial support to enable her undergo a third in a series of four plastic surgeries at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) to correct the problem,  Ashcell Limited, the Ashanti Regional authorised distributors of MTN, made a cheque donation of GH¢2,000 to the authorities of KATH, paving way for doctors to fix a date for the operation.

After the third surgery, she would wait until she reaches the age of 15 before going for the last operation.

A consultant Plastic Surgeon at KATH, Dr Emmanuel Adu, said the operation would enable the girl to wear shoes. However, she would never be able to wear sandals.

Dr Adu said Patricia was born with the disease, stressing that it was a medical problem that could affect any part of the body.

He said for the past seven years, he had seen about 30 cases of gigantism at KATH.

Making the presentation of the cheque, Mr Jerry Otchi, the Corporate Services Executive of Ashcell, said it was part of the company’s social responsibility.

He stated that his outfit was moved by the plight of the girl, especially as her education was under serious threat from the medical disorder.

The mother of the patient, Madam Akua Serwaa, thanked the company for the donation.

Doners should contact the Plastic Surgery Unit of the KATH.

Story by Kwame Asare Boadu