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You can save this little angel
2005-11-02 07:53:32
By Anthony Muchoki
The little angel, when I beckon her comes running with a smile of the roses written all over her young life. What can be greater joy than the abounding joy she exhibits?
Excitedly, she jumps into my open arms, and life seems to be so wonderful. She is telling me something but I can’t understand her ’baby’ language. All I can do is to jokingly lift her up high in the air, and this excites her more.
Then she takes my cell phone and pretends to be calling somebody. She then breaks into an infectious laughter and all the attention of about five family members at their house in Mwananyamala, Dar es Salaam is directed to her.
Children can be such bountiful joy, and only the sad face of her mother can tell all is not well. Looking at the baby, playful and smiling most of the time you cannot tell the girl is suffering from a deadly heart condition, which if not treated will progressively render her comatose and cost her life.
Baby Abraham Warda Ibrahim Issa was born a year and four months ago. According to several hospitals in Dar es Salaam, she is suffering from congenital heart disease. In layman’s language she is suffering from a hole in the heart.
According to www. Congenitalheart.com congenital heart disease is a heart–related problem that is present since birth.
The medical site says babies with ’holes’ in the heart suffer a structural defect in the heart, which can cause blood flow to be disrupted, such that a large proportion of blood bypasses the lungs and is transported through the body in its purplish, deoxygenated form.
Fortunately, the heart defect can be surgically repaired, thus restoring normal circulatory function, according to the site.
’’The problem was discovered when she was 3 months old,’’ says her Mama, Zamda A Ramadhani. This was by Prof Lewis Mbise at Hindu Mandal Hospital in Dar es Salaam.
’’Since then, I have always lived in fear knowing my youngest child suffers from a life threatening condition. Today, she is okay but it pains to see her suffer terribly at times,’’ she says looking up in the sky.
She says the kid is constantly on medication, and the doctors have said the only permanent solution to the problem is corrective surgery, where the hole in her heart will be sealed.
Zamda says, the child is her fifth child and she blames the hand of fate for her inability to raise cash for her daughter’s treatment.
’’I’m a housewife, and more so now that my baby is sick I cannot go out to look for a job as I have to take care of her full time.
My husband is a smallholder businessman. He doesn’t have the money we need for the treatment,’’ she says.
Luckily, the lions Club of Dar es Salaam has offered to take care of the cost of the open heart surgery in India that to save her life.
’’Our club will sponsor the cost of the open heart surgery,’’ says Lions Dr Rajni C Kanabar of the club.
However, the club does not cater for the airfare needed for the patient and the guardian to reach India and the incidentals thereof. The amount required for the purpose is about USD 902.
’’We cannot afford even the airfare,’’ she says tears streaming down her cheeks. ’’In my situation you always feel terrible.
Living with your daughter, seeing her suffer daily and knowing what should be done to ease her suffering and yet being so impotent,’’ she says.
You can help save baby Warda’s life. All you need to do is help her with the airfare she and her mama needs to reach India, the Lions club of Dar es Salaam will take care of the rest.
You can donate money to assist her raise the airfare in the following account A/C No. 016639 Twiga Bank Corp, Dar es Salaam. Her mama’s phone no is 0744 892409 or you could directly get in touch with the Lions Club of Dar es Salaam.
You can also email Amuchoki@guardian.co.tz
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