The Breanna Memorial Childhood Cancer Foundation has received Gh¢ 50, 000 in support of treatment of childhood cancer at the Rebecca Akufo-Addo Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital.
The amount, which was donated by Labianca Company Ltd, as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), was to augment the financial support and other interventions the Foundation gives to the children.
Breanna Memorial Childhood Cancer Foundation was named after the young and brilliant nine-year-old Breanna Fosua Addai, who battled leukemia for two years before she passed on.
In her quest to overcome the disease and not see other children going through her ordeal, she helped in creating awareness and subsequently became a Childhood Cancer Ambassador.
Before her death, Breanna Fosua Addai aimed at supporting children on admission financially through payment of some laboratory tests and service charges, amongst others.
In fulfillment of her wish, the Foundation was inaugurated and the isolation ward of the Rebecca Akufo-Addo Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) for infectious children was adopted and to be supported.
Mr Etse Gadegbeku, Managing Director, Labianca Company Ltd, dealers in frozen foods, after presenting the cheque, said their resolve was to help save lives, adding that the donation was a testament of their commitment to a good project.
“We saw how young Breanna battled with childhood cancer but couldn’t survive. The disease has not received the needed attention it deserved. We seek to support the Foundation and create awareness for early detection,” he said.
Mr Solomon Addai, Executive Director, Breanna Memorial Childhood Cancer Foundation, commended management of Labianca Company Ltd for the support towards humanity, adding that “gave us money last and other financial support for Breanna’s treatment when she was alive.”
He said the Foundation had been working on its yearly financial commitment of Gh¢ 100, 000 to the adopted ward and cancer children with medical treatment.
“Our target in 2024 is to contribute to the construction of a $1.2 million 40-bed paediatric oncology unit block, for which the foundation had adopted a floor at the cost of $401,847.08 in support of cancer children at Korle Bu Teaching Hospital,” Mr Addai said.
He said childhood cancer was a serious disease with a huge financial burden and called on the government to critically pay attention to it because the numbers kept increasing daily at various health facilities due to the awareness created.
“The government should expand the National Health Insurance to cover childhood cancer treatments and drugs and better still establish a National Childhood Cancer Fund that will be resourced and accessible,” the Executive Director said.
Source: GNA
