Childhood cancer foundation calls on Kufuor

The Breanna Memorial Childhood Cancer Foun­dation paid a courtesy call on the former President, Mr John Agyekum Kufuor, in Accra last Thursday.

The visit was to seek the attention and support of eminent citizens of Ghana in the fight against childhood cancer in the country.

The chairperson of the foun­dation, Ms Esi Hammond, ex­pressed the desire of the Breanna Foundation to have the former President as an ambassador of the foundation.

She said his support was needed in its sensitisation and educational campaigns and fund­raising efforts to ensure funding for the provision of medical care and treatment for children living with cancer, and for training of specialised health care profes­sionals in oncology.

She informed Mr Kufuor that the foundation had taken on an ambitious project to adopt and fund the third floor of a 40-bed paediatric oncology block to be built at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital.

“We’re partnering a foundation to carry out this project, howev­er, we’ve adopted a floor of the building in the name of Breanna and need your support to com­plete the block on schedule,” she added.

In his response, Mr Kufuor said cancer remained a health challenge that required the at­tention of the entire nation and therefore supports the efforts of Breanna Foundation.

He said “the disease needs an over ambitious effort to ensure that people throughout the coun­try understand what it is and seek medical attention quickly when­ever family members, especially children, fall ill.”

He expressed his readiness to support Breanna Foundation to achieve its objectives of provid­ing medical support for children living with cancer.

Newly-appointed childhood cancer ambassadors, Ms Lordina Addai and Ms Amora Imadi, recited a poem for the President who suggested that the poem should be translated into local languages to broaden the reach of the message throughout Ghana.

The former President ex­pressed immense joy at meeting 10-year old Ms Nita Kudalor, also an ambassador, who is a cancer survivor.

 BY VIVIAN ARTHUR