A 16-years-old girl, Adeola Oyeyemi Adejare, has donated N150,000 to the Sickle Cell Foundation in Nigeria as her contribution towards addressing the plight of persons affected by sickle cell desease in the country.
The donation was received by the Chief Executive Officer of the Sickle Cell Foundation Nigeria, Dr. Annette Akinsete and Programme Coordinator, Babatunde Anthony.
Adeola said she was motivated to make the donation from her savings because she was desirous of helping others who may not be fortunate to enjoy access to the kind of treatments she gets in the United States where she lives.
According to her “I live in the US where I’m fortunate to have access to different types of doctors, medical devices, and hospitals. I knew that there were other places in the world that have the knowledge to treat people like me, but not the money or equipment.”
“I decided that I had to do something. I created jewelry, mainly ear rings and bracelets along with my sister Aderonke Adejare and sold them. Our parents and other relatives also supported us to achieve this,” she said.
She appealed to healthcare providers in Nigeria to offer best quality medical treatment to those suffering from sickle cell and make them feel happy while treating them. She also cautioned against other negative connotations that people ascribe to sickle cell patients.
