Girl living with sickle cell disease who embarked on 751-kilometre bicycle ride awareness campaign arrives in Accra

An 11-year-old girl, Ekua Bofowah Asumang,  who is living with sickle cell disease, arrived in Accra on a bicycle from Tamale yesterday after a 751-kilometre ride to raise awareness of the disease. 

She was accompanied by her father, 56-year-old Vincent Asumang. The completion of the ride, which started on Monday, June 10, 2024, coincided with the commemoration of this year’s World Sickle Cell Day yesterday.

The effort was also to raise funds to support children living with the disease and to sensitise the public to the condition. It was Ekua’s second ride after the first one from Cape Coast in the Central Region to Mepe in the Volta Region over six days in December last year.

During that period, she donated relief items to some victims of the Akosombo Dam spillage. The survivor, who is a Basic Six pupil of Pere Planque Basic School in Cape Coast, undertook the exercise with a team of seven children and adults.

Speaking to the Daily Graphic in Accra yesterday, on the sidelines of the national commemoration of World Sickle Cell Day, Ekua said she decided to do the awareness creation move to help protect innocent children with sickle cell disease, who were being stigmatised.

The nine-day journey ended at the public durbar organised by the Ghana Institute of Clinical Genetics at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital to mark the day. Father and daughter were greeted with applause and admiration at the event.

The day is observed on June 19 annually to raise awareness of sickle cell disease globally. It also aims to increase public knowledge and understanding of Sickle Cell Disease, and the challenges faced by patients, their families and caregivers.

The global theme for World Sickle Cell Day 2024 is: "Hope through Progress: Advancing Sickle Cell Care Globally,” while the national commemoration was on the theme: “Donate a pint: save the life of a sickle cell patient.

She said many other children also did not have access to the requisite health care needed by people living with the disease.

Awareness

“I am hopeful that my initiative would help stakeholders improve care for all persons living with the condition as well as get the numerous people who also did not know about the condition or had inaccurate information about it to be well informed,” she said.

Mr Asumang said they were faced with numerous challenges on the nine-day trip from Tamale to Accra. He named them to include Ekua’s recurring sickle cell crisis, which required urgent medical attention and hospitalisation.

Mr Asumang recalled initial doubts about his daughter’s diagnosis and her ability to complete the ride. However, he said he remained determined to support her daughter to raise awareness of the condition.

He expressed gratitude for the support they received from the general public, particularly, those who cheered her along and emphasised the importance of sickle cell awareness. He said the journey received support from individuals and organisations, including the Ghana Police Service, the Ghana Fire Service and the producers of Cowbell, Promasidor Ghana, who provided food, accommodation and encouragement along the way.

Sickle cell disease

Sickle cell anaemia is one of a group of inherited disorders known as sickle cell disease. It affects the shape of red blood cells, which carry oxygen to all parts of the body.