Paynesville – A 22-year-old Liberian, James Doloyuwah, along with family and friends, is calling for financial assistance to undergo surgery for a life-threatening sickness he has been battling for more than two years.
Doloyuwah is being diagnosed with Spinal Stenosis, a medical term that indicates a condition that causes a curve in the spine.
He is currently in Monrovia and awaiting the operation at the John F. Kennedy Medical Center through the help of ‘good Samaritans’, a young Liberian named Samuel Babajuah and his friends.
“James is currently in town. He left Bong County on Monday and is at my place. I went to the JFK and the hospital has assured me that there are doctors there, who can do the surgery,” Babajuah said, adding that if everything goes as planned, Doloyuwah will be admitted on Thursday for the surgery.”
Babajuah learned about Doloyuwah’s illness through a FrontPage Africa’s publication some months ago. Since then, he has stepped in, providing all sorts of help.
However, Babajuah says, all is not set as they are still short of the money needed to underwrite the cost of Doloyuwah’s treatment. He said although the hospital has not disclosed the total cost of the treatment, he will not be to undertake the cost alone.
He revealed portion of the money that will be used to start the treatment was given to a friend but they are still in need of support.
Doloyuwah was diagnosed of the sickness when he fell from a palm tree in Bong County in 2018 while harvesting palm nuts to sustain himself and underwrite his schooling. But when he was admitted at the Phebe Hospital, Doctors uncovered other underlying sicknesses and advised him to seek advanced treatment at JFK Hospital or abroad.
Since then, Doloyuwah, a 10th grade student has not sought proper medication because of lack of money and has dropped out of school because of his condition. Currently, he is partially paralyzed.
Speaking to FPA, Doloyuwah told FrontPage Africa that he wants to seek medication to get well and continue his school.
“I am really in need of help from anyone including our President, Vice-president, Speaker of the House and goodwill individuals as well,” he told FrontPage Africa with teary eyes.
“I want to go back to school, because that is the only way I can improve my life and my family,” he adds.
According to him, he has written several communications to stakeholders in and outside of Bong County, but nothing has been done to help him undergo surgery.
He said his parents are jobless and have no means of paying his fees – or his medical bills at an advanced medical center.
He expressed fear that if nothing is done to help address his medical condition, he might become liability, due to abnormalities of his body systems.
Says Doloyuwah: “I am begging everyone to help me in any way because I am no longer able to go to the bush and cut palm to pay my school fees or help my parents to buy food. If people do not feel sorry to extend hand to me, I go to bed on empty stomach.”
“I have been faced with this for two year now and been calling on the local stations in Bong County, for help but nothing has been done towards my condition,” he pleaded.