Paynesville City– Liberian nurse who has spent more than a decade saving lives in the country’s leeward counties and recently in the ambulance service is now pleading for help to save her own.
By Jaheim T. [email protected]
In an interview with Liberia TV, Georgia T. Jibbil–Snawolo, an employee of the Ministry of Health’s emergency medical service, has been diagnosed with advanced liver cancer and doctors say her only chance is surgery abroad.
“I’ve been working in the leeward counties since 2012 and was recently transferred to the EMS ambulance service after the crisis,” she said. “I got sick in December. I started vomiting, my stomach started hurting uncontrollably. I started sweating. I started getting weaker.”
She was first taken to ELWA Hospital, where doctors informed her that she had ulcers. However, as her condition worsened, she was later transferred to the John F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital. It was there that medical examinations revealed a growing mass on her liver, raising deeper concerns about her health.
She further disclosed that at Jahmale Medical Solutions, doctor identified three additional marks and concluded that surgery abroad, specifically in India would be her best option. This recommendation marked a critical urgency in her medical journey, as it underscored the seriousness of her condition and the need for specialized treatment.
“Being a nurse I know, so I started to see a big mark. The mark has gotten big but I am seeing three other smaller ones,” she recalled after undergoing a CT liver triple-phase scan.
“The doctor said Ghana will not be okay. He can’t recommend Ghana for me. So I should go to India as soon as possible,” she said.
The estimated cost of surgery, accommodation, and transport is $16,400 — far beyond her means. “I come from a very poor background,” she explained. “I need them now. Someone who chose to venture into the medical field to save life is now asking the public to help save her life.”
Her appeal is directed not only to humanitarian groups and ordinary citizens but also to Liberia’s political leaders. “I’m calling on Senate Pro-Tempore Nyonblee Kangar-Lawrence, Montserrado County Senator Abraham Darius Dillon and everyone who are in positions to come to my aid,” she said.
Her appeal highlights the limits of Liberia’s health system, where advanced oncology care is unavailable and medical evacuation is often the only path for patients with complex cancers.
