We have been involved in medical outreachs such as the Baba Sala Slum in Pako Isolo and also in Makoko in Lagos State Nigeria.
Black Diamonds Support Foundation visited Babasala slum with her medical team which is made up of Medical Doctors, Pharmacists, Pharmacologist, Lab scientist, Optometrist and Nurses.
The community is so neglected that some of the residents of nearby urban areas were not aware of its existence. There population distribution was majorly of women and children, there were fewer men. Living in this slum is definitely a day to day struggle with diseases and infections.
Malaria Blood tests and Eye check-up were carried out on 250 people, oral antimalarial and prophylactic medications were administered depending on the doctor’s diagnosis.
Our One Girl One Pad #OGOP scheme was also done, #OGOP is a scheme that was created to encourage high level of menstrual hygiene for every girl child by providing free pads and encouraging the use of sanitary pads in place unhealthy methods to avoid infections that could grow to become life-threatening. It was a huge success and our hopes are still high as we believe in our cause.
A boy would have been dead in less than 48hrs or have his leg amputated if we didn’t intervene as promptly as we did.
Background:
Late July 2018
#BDSF was on an empowerment and #WATARA sensitization at Makoko, the COO/National Coordinator Emeka S.C Iweka was on ground, while the Lagos Zonal Coordinator Lola Kayode and some other volunteers were busy attending to the women who came for the medical test.
Our CEO/Founder Defunke Adewunmi and a volunteer Diane Badmus were discussing and noticed a boy with a dirty bandaged but visibly swollen leg sitting on the pavement away from other kids, looking at them with pain in his eyes, She requested to see his mum who was busy struggling to get the freebies going round, sadly that was her priority at the time and not presenting the kid’s health state to #BDSF.
After much insistence, the mother was dragged out from the crowd and she explained that the foot was run over by a commercial motor cyclist (Okada) and its being treated locally. (Read More)
Our in-house doctor Adeola examined the leg and raised an alarm on how badly managed the leg was, we took the kid to a local hospital around, but was referred to Igbobi Orthopaedic hospital.
Omowunmi Toluwalase, Diane, Ogunniyi Tolulope insisted on finalizing the matter and set off to Igbobi.
The kid was examined and we were told his blood had been poisoned by the septic wound, and most of his red blood cells were gone, his pvc was extremely low, and he would have either died out of complications or have legs amputated if he was not brought in on that Friday….
#BDSF had no funds for the unplanned treatment, but we had to do it!!! Our CEO insisted out of compassion.
The team ran around to ensure all was paid for treatment to commence, medical procedures ensued immediately and the leg was properly casted the next morning.
The mother filled with joy, shed tears of gratitude and likened us to angels sent to help her situation.
This post is to inspire people, that the person you are ignoring to help, smile at, can be at his/her lowest ebb in life and needs just your intervention to see another day.
We may not see our boy again, but he will never forget us, we have laid a seed of kindness in his heart.
Not everyone will be grateful, but still be kind anyways, smile, help, show concern and let posterity judge you right.
