The story of little Miss Maria Faustina Emma Ole is heart wrenching. She is just four years old.
Some months ago, precisely, on April 15, 2019, she fell victim to a road accident in Umuahia where she sustained severe injuries. The little girl’s life was on the line. She was in unimaginable pains.
Diagnosis revealed that she sustained severe head and spinal cord injuries. The summary of the diagnosis stated “Gross deformity of the atlantoaxial joint with a complete dislocation of the odontoid peg anteriorly, malunited anteriorly with the body of the axis shortening the neck. There is consequently stenosis of the cranial cervical transition, atlantoxial disruption with widening atlantoxial space anteriorly between the odontoid process and the anterior arc of the atlas measuring 3.9cm. Severe spinal stenosis and a strongly suspect spinal cord compression at this level. Long standing fracture of the odontoid process at the base with complete anterior dislocation and angulation consequently posterior displacement of C2 body causing severe absolute spinal stenosis and compression of the proximal spinal cord at the craniocervical transition. High signal myelopathy change in the cord”.
Doctors and medical people will understand better.
The recommendation of the doctors was ‘Surgical Compression.’
This little girl is the daughter of a man who works at the Broadcasting Corporation of Abia State. The cost of surgery was put at 5 Million Naira. Again, the nature of the surgery was so complex that a team comprising a specialist neurosurgeon and an orthopedic surgeon needed to be flown in from South Africa and Saudi Arabia.
Where would a staff of the BCA find 5 Million Naira? The man is from Isuochi in Abia State. He watched his little daughter struggle daily with severe pain and distress. The girl was dying slowly. The man was helpless. He cried endlessly.
A public appeal for help was made of which was published by ABIA ONLINE.
And so soon thereafter, help was on the way!
THE ROLE OF EACH ONE AID ONE FOUNDATION!
When the President of the Foundation read of the story of the little girl and how helpless the family is, he was moved with pity and compassion.
Initially, he made a donation of 1 Million while he was planning on sending his children on their usual annual vacation in the United States. On a second thought, while being not comfortable and certain that help might come from elsewhere, he summoned a meeting of his children and put forward a question. He narrated the pitiable story of little Miss Maria Emma to his kids and asked them to make a choice between going for the vacation and saving the life of the little girl.
Without hesitation, the unanimous decision from the children was, let’s save poor little girl’s life and that was it. From the initial 1Milliin Naira donation, he decided to takeover the entire expenses.
Through his Foundation, EACH ONE AID ONE FOUNDATION, the 5 Million Naira was paid and the expatriate doctors were flown into the country, all at the expense of the Foundation.
The surgery eventually took place on the 27th of November, 2019 at Princeton Specialist Hospital and Orthopedic Center, Awka Anambra State after weeks of pre surgery procedures. It was an extremely complicated and complex surgical procedure. The age of the girl made it even more complicated.
But to the glory of God Almighty, the surgery was successful and the girl is on her path to full recovery. One amazing thing here is that the President of the Foundation, Engr. Nana has never known nor met the little girl or her parents but out of compassion and humanitarian services, he decided to forgo the joy of sending his own children for their yearly vacation.
This is our story in Abia. The selflessness is the watchword and care for one another is the hallmark.
We are a people who care about each other.
God bless EACH ONE AID ONE FOUNDATION and the President of the Foundation, Engr. Nana
God bless our dear State, Abia.
To God be the glory.
Comments are closed.