The 13-year-old teenage boy, Emmanuel Nwafor, who was diagnosed with Nasopharyngeal Tumor, a likely cancer illness, has undergone a successful surgical operation and been discharged from the hospital.
Emmanuel, whose father died when he was just three years old, was operated on by a team of surgeons at the University of Teaching Hospital (UITH) on Friday, and the biopsy that was removed has been deposited at the Department of Pathology of the UITH for further examination.
It should be noted that while unveiling the Foundation for Advocacy and Sensitization on Tuberculosis (FAST) in Ilorin during the week, the founder of the NGO, Dr. Misitura Lawal-Arowona, announced that the foundation would settle the surgical bill of the teenage boy.
While following up on the patient, the foundation visited Emmanuel and his family on Saturday at their residence in the Oko Erin area of the Ilorin metropolis.
Speaking with journalists, the founder of FAST, Dr. Misitura Lawal-Arowona, expressed delight and appreciation to the team of surgeons who carried out the operation to further fulfill the mission of the NGO of putting smiles on the faces of the less privileged in society.
She also expressed concern that the lack of support for patients with both minor and major illnesses had led to the deaths of so many souls who could have been more instrumental in the growth and peaceful co-existence of the nation and humanity in general.
Dr. Lawal-Arowona, a lecturer in the Department of Pure and Applied Chemistry at Kebbi State University of Science and Technology, Aliero, further assured Emmanuel and his family of the continuous support of the foundation.
Speaking to the visiting team, Emmanuel Nwafor thanked the foundation for rescuing him and bringing hope to his life, stressing, “I would like to become a medical doctor when I grow up so that I can assist the less privileged, especially people who don’t have good health and can’t afford to settle their hospital bills.”
Also speaking, Emmanuel’s mother, Madam Ndidi Nwafor, a journalist, expressed her appreciation to the foundation, adding, “Since the demise of my husband about 10 years ago, I have been shouldering the burdens of the needs and well-being of the family alone. I have three kids, and it has not been easy, but I thank God that assistance came to us through your foundation. May God never put you to shame in life because this matter has really devastated and confused me. But now, I am relieved and thankful to God.”
Emmanuel Nwafor is an SS1 student at a private secondary school in Ilorin, the Kwara state capital.
