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Gambia: 12-year-old Heart Patient Needs Help

A 12-year-old refugee having heart ailment has been diagnosed at the Royal Victoria Teaching Hospital (RVTH), Lamtoro and in Dakar and has proved to be suffering from an enlarged heart with two weak valves.

According to a medical report from the RVTH and Lamtoro, Glen Ishmail Bangura, a 12-year-old boy, an A student in grade 6 at St. Theresa’s Lower Basic School, has been suffering from an enlarged heart.

According to his Echocardiography report: “The heart is enlarged with marked left ventricular hypertrophy and deformed but there is also a narrowed infundibular area. The septual leaf of the mitral valve also appears thickened and slightly deformed. It also appears incompetent. No VSD observed. No other abnormalities seen.”

The medical report therefore requests for an urgent overseas intervention or treatment before the young boy loses his life, since the facilities are unavailable here in The Gambia.

According to other reports from Dakar and the Medical Research Council, Glen is suffering from Infundibular mitral valve stenosis. “He therefore needs urgent operation overseas to replace his valves,” the report states.

His mother, Theresa A. Johnson, is seeking assistance from President Yahya Jammeh and the general public to help in saving the life of her son.

“Glen has deteriorated steadily and has become extremely weak and cannot walk, talk loud or cry. He is a promising child. Please help me to help him. I am in tears,” she cried out.

Assistance can be rendered to Glen Bangura through a Trust Fund opened for him at the Trust Bank. The Fund account number is 112-110794-01, with Fr. Joseph Carl as the trustee. Or call 9901194/9808144/7065033 for details.