Graphic supports mother of kidney patient

The Graphic Communications Group Limited (GCGL) has presented a high density latex foam mattress and a piece of cloth to Ms Janet Donkor, a single mother who sacrificed a lot to save her son.

Her son, Richard Kusi Yeboah, 22, was diagnosed with end-stage renal disease (kidney failure) in 2011, and even though his mother donated her

kidney, the procedure was unsuccessful, leaving Yeboah to now rely on dialysis for survival.

A dialysis session at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital is GH¢270 and Yeboah has to go through three sessions weekly. Additionally, he needs to run a series of tests and medications.

After many failed attempts to raise funds, Richard’s grandmother had to take a loan of GH¢5,000 for the treatment.

Although a construction firm, First Sky Group, pays for two of the dialysis sessions for about 90 per cent of patients at the unit, Yeboah’s family is unable to raise additional funds for the other session, nor buy medications and also cater for emergencies.

• Read also

• A mother’s sacrifice; kidney donation gone sour

Rationale

The Corporate Communications Manager of the GCGL, Mr Emmanuel Agyei Arthur, explained that as a symbol of real motherhood and as part of The Mirror’s Model Mother 2019 promo to honour mothers during this year’s Mother’s Day celebration, “we realised the selflessness of Ms Donkor, who went to the extent of donating her kidney to save her son.

Our gesture is to also show to the world the kind of mother that society expects”.

The Editor of The Mirror, Ms Janet Quartey, assured Ms Donkor of the paper’s support in the treatment of her son.

Appreciation

For her part, Ms Donkor thanked the company for the gesture, saying: “I did it for God to save my son and I hope it will encourage other parents in similar situations to also sacrifice for the survival of their children.”

Richard expressed appreciation for the support offered his mother.

The Deputy Director, Nursing Services of the Renal Dialysis Unit of the hospital, Araba Tawiah Abankwah, entreated other organisations to emulate the gesture by the GCGL.

According to her, treatment for the disease was expensive and that it was not covered by the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), for which reason some patients needed financial support from individuals, groups and organisations to survive.