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| Top: Angelina Bottom Left: Angelina's Father, Mother, Angelina, Uncle Bottom right: Angelina with her mother |
This past week I was introduced to Angelina: a bubbly 18-month-old baby girl with a cleft lip, and possible cleft palate. As she squirmed and giggled from her perch on her mama's lap I realized this could not be my only encounter with her.
Angelina's family is from a small village in the Builsa District in Ghana's Upper East and her family cannot afford the cost of a trip to the Cleft Palate Clinic in Kumasi (~500km), let alone begin to afford the cost of her medical treatment. This is why she has just turned 18 months old and has not yet received medical care for her condition, the extent of which is still unknown.
There is also very little information readily available about medical care for cleft palate patients in Ghana, although I am told the cost of treatment for her condition will not be covered by her National Health Insurance policy. I also know cleft lip/palate repair is best done between 0 and 18 months of age, but that Angelina can still see successful outcomes.
In my short time in Ghana, and during my previous experiences in West Africa, I have seen how difficult life here can be for persons with disabilities; disability is not widely understood here, nor is it well accepted. Health-implications of an untreated cleft lip/palate aside, Angelina will have an extraordinarily difficult life if she doesn't receive surgery.
Living here I come face-to-face with need frequently, but great need like Angelina's case is not a daily occurrence. I simply can't turn a blind eye to her case, but I also am unable to bear the brunt of the cost of her medical attention alone.
I'm asking for you to help me, and my colleague Katie, to be able to ensure Angelina receives the medical care she needs & deserves. We have put together a fund-raising call through Fundrazr.
Because we know so little about Angelina's medical condition, and due to the lack of information available about the cost of her surgery, we are unable to appropriately estimate the full costs of Angelina's medical care. On our fundraising page you will find a more detailed outline about our anticipated cost of the initial trip to Kumasi for the Cleft Clinic, and our commitment to financial accountability to you. Any funds raised for this 'Stage 1' of treatment that are not used will go directly into the fundraising pool for Angelina's Stage 2 & Stage 3+ medical care.
Matthew 25:40. Whether or not you are able to make a financial contribution to Angelina's case I urge you to keep Angelina and her family in your prayers. Please pray specifically for the journey ahead to Kumasi, for the medical professionals we will encounter there, and for successful medical appointments. Pray Angelina will be able to receive the medical care that she so deeply needs. Please also pray for her family: this trip to Kumasi will not be an easy journey, and much of it will be scary for both mother and child.
Katie and I will travel with Angelina and her mother to the Cleft Clinic in Kumasi on June 12th. I look forward to updating you as our time with Angelina progresses.
With you in grace and love,
Brittany
I'm happy to answer your questions or provide you with detailed financial information as we progress through Angelina's care. Just send me an email.
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