MONROVIA – Beatrice Wisseh Jalloh is a high school graduate with honors. She was opportune to get a scholarship from the Gbowee Peace Foundation and enrolled at the African Methodist Episcopal University, (AMEU) in pursuit of her dream to become a Lawyer. But that dream remains in limbo, as she is in the hospital with two broken legs.
“My dream is to become a human rights lawyer to help other vulnerable children out there, who really need help. Unfortunately, I am out of school and cannot achieve my dream now because I am in the hospital,” Ms. Jalloh said regretting.
Since February 27th of this year, she has been bedridden at the St. Timothy Hospital in Grand Cape Mount County, where her health continues to decline.
“During my first semester at the university, I had a terrible accident on a motorcycle, when I was on my way to school. We got hit from behind, by a car and the driver ran away, leaving us to our fates. My legs got broken and I am still in the hospital receiving treatment. I have gone through several surgeries on both legs and there’s another one pending for next week,” said Jalloh.
Jalloh and her grandparents are seeking help from international and local organizations, kindhearted individuals, and Liberians based in the Diaspora. She needs to get an advanced treatment outside of Liberia, if there is any hope of her ever walking again. They can be reached on the following numbers: +231888019876 or +231776120936.
“Little is much, when God is in it, anybody can help me in their weak way in paying the hospital bills, while waiting for the big help so I can walk again,” pleaded Jalloh.
Jalloh, 19, has had a health challenge before, though she largely overcame it. Considering her past challenges, it is evident that it is impacting her yet fragile body.
“I was born bowlegged and was operated upon in 2018 at the SDA Cooper Hospital. A white doctor placed irons in my legs, but after the work, the irons later created a hole in my skin and started coming out, so my family rushed me to Dr. Momoh Kpoto, a bone doctor, who did another surgery and removed the irons from my legs. Doctor Kpoto is a very good doctor and he really helped me a lot. He did my surgery free of charge at the Catholic hospital. The only money I had to pay was for the day I slept in the hospital,” she said.
Despite seeing an Orthopedist, there were still some complications. She was taken to the Firestone Hospital in Margibi County, where some threads were removed from her legs. But Jalloh had not fully recovered from the aftermath of the surgery which has added to her current medical complications.
“My legs got affected and started leaking pus, up to the time I had the accident. Even now, the doctor is trying to also treat the infection.” She said.
Jalloh has been asking for help from the public to enable her address her current health and financial problems, but she has been receiving disappointments.
“Many people have asked me to send them my story for them to help, but when I send it, they stopped talking to me after some time, so my grandparents stopped me from telling people my story. I am sorry it took long to tell you my story because I wanted to ask their permission first,” she said.
There may be a little hope for Jalloh in getting some help this time, with the involvement of child rights activist, Satta Sheriff. Sheriff, who heads the Youth in Action for Peace and Empowerment, an organization devoted to advocating for the rights and protection of women, girls and children. Sheriff says she is in empathy with Jalloh and that her organization will be seeking help for Jalloh to get the support she desperately needs.
“She deserves to be in school in following her dreams and being a normal girl like all of us,” said Sheriff.
Even with her current predicament, and unsure if she will leave the hospital soon, Jalloh has volunteered to engage some teenagers in her community, write about their plights and publish it in this newspaper. She does not know the fate of her surgery next week Tuesday, but Jalloh has the courage that she will walk again.