May 9 Foundation Mark 17Yrs of Stadium Disaster With "Save a Sick Child Project"
                           

 

According to Dr. John A. Appiah, head of the pediatric intensive care unit of the KATH, children who suffer this condition can only eat or drink through a plastic tube inserted into their stomachs until a medical surgery is carried out to repair the damage in the throat.
 
"This condition has become prevalent in our unit here in recent years and many children from all over the country are brought here for treatment because it is the only pediatric intensive care unit in the country but the cost of carrying out the surgeries are high and many parents cannot afford to pay", Dr. John A. Appiah said in welcoming the May 9 Foundation team to the KATH.
 
He revealed that, it cost close to GH20,000 to carry out a surgery to repair the food pipe of one single child. 

And since many of the parents cannot afford the high cost of treatment, most of the children are left eating through plastic tubes inserted into their stomachs for several years until someone or organization comes to their rescue.
 
The President of the May 9 Foundation, Mr. Herbert Mensah whose attention was brought to the dire situation at the unit by some medical personnel at the KATH expressed sincere worry about the alarming rate at which the condition is affecting many children especially when it is through the carelessness of the parents and not any fault of the affected children.
 
Mr. Mensah who is also President of Ghana Rugby Football Union said he was moved to take action through the May 9 Foundation after he received a petition and the organization located children suffering from such conditions from Asangragwa in the Western region as well as from Wa in the upper West region to undergo life-saving surgeries at the KATH.
 
"My friends  and myself who are involved with May 9 we try to help. Every year we are involved in something else. May 9 is something we do every year for seventeen years. We received a petition this year from some people in the medical field about this incredible problem of caustic soda ingestion among little children in the unit here. And so we got involved to try and help, bring about change, and secondly highlight the problem for others to get involved in bringing about change."
 
Mr. Mensah continued, "we like to touch the people directly to be sure that the help we give reach the people. Everyone can try to help in their own little way according to their conscience. It is all about the little contributions from individuals. It is not about having big money before you can help though these surgeries are expensive".
 
The President also added "I acknowledge and thank the sponsors of the project including the media for massively highlighting the problems of the sick children".

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