Mabinty Kamara
Mabinty Kamara was a bright, young, 20-year old, SS3 student at the Muslim Congress Secondary School. But all that has passed and now, 3-years later, she is wracked with pain, suffers from a swollen leg and walks with a crutch. Her injuries and continued agony are a result of a fall from a staircase at her Owen Street home in the Mountain Cut community.
Mabinty’s family took her to a traditional healer after the fall because she had a sore left hip. The traditional leader did some massage but the efforts had little impact on Mabinty’s troubles.
Modern medicine was called for and her family took her to PCMH where her pain and aching hip were incorrectly treated. Cottage Hospital treated her for a severe cold and gave her several unknown injections. “Things got worse for me,” she said. “I had more pain and no one really knew what to do.”
As her condition continued to worsen, Mabinty was dragged to several different hospitals including, Cottage, Holy Spirit in Makeni, Kenema Government Hospital, Jui Hospital, Lunsar and Emergency hospital and even a private clinic.
She said, “It was at the Emergency Hospital that doctors informed me that I need a hip replacement because my left hip was so damaged. That was when I found out this surgery could not be done in Sierra Leone. I was told I had to get to the U.S.”
“I felt hopeless,” she said. “I should have been in university or more but I have constant pain and can’t sleep for the fever. I want to return to school and complete my education.”
Mabinty’s condition came to the attention of Adonis Abboud, who’s Chair of the Board of NGO, Pikin Bizness and runs a Trust Fund. Abboud noted, “When we heard about the plight of Mabinty, we didn’t hesitate to step in and try to help.”
He said the Rotary Club in the U.S. was contacted and they have been able to make contact with the Shriners Orthopaedic Hospital for Children, in Pennsylvania.
Abboud said the Hospital has requested information, scans and an x-ray report, which they’ll analyse and try to determine if they can help. “We hope to get Mabinty to the U.S. to undergo this life-changing surgery,” Abboud said. He added that the surgery will be done for free, when the Rotary Club and Shriners develop a partnership agreement. “And,” he added, the surgery will be free – we just have to make a donation to the hospital. Just imagine, this surgery would normally cost a fortune.”
Abboud noted that if everything falls into place, Mabinty will get a passport, apply for a visa and travel to the U.S. for this surgery. Her life will get back on track and she’ll be able to return to school and fulfil her utmost potential.
By Betty Milton
Awoko Thursday, May 18, 2017.
Sierra Leone Life Coach 