Medical Fund for little Enoch

Enoch (left) with brother Solomon before incident.

Dear VIMA Friends,
Volunteers for International Medical Aid, VIMA www.vimaonline.org is a rural grassroots charity started in 2009 by Francis Agbemafle. The organization  operates out of West Africa, with Ghana as its staging ground.
We are a child advocate organization that believes " "Children are a symbol of hope for the future"  and that all children deserves a strong foundation for a better future. We believe all parents wants the best for their children, Our work in rural Ghana includes donating shoes free of charge to orphans and needy children in remote areas to enable them walk the long walk to school. Do date, we have distributed shoes, clothes and school materials  to more than 35,000 children in rural Ghana. we also link needy kids to American families for educational sponsorship, we work to reduce and or eradicate child labor in our communities, and we educate the youth on responsible behaviors in order for them to become responsible adults when they grow. When neccesary, we also raise funds to assist needy children in medical emergencies. The organization also runs an orphanage and a school in the Volta Region of Ghana called VIMA Children's Home for orphans and needy children. 
Whiles we do get resquests for medical assistance for various reasons on regular bases, we have to conduct careful analysis to ensure that the beneficiary child or entity qualifies under our strict guidelines. 
One of those recent requests was for a 4-year old boy called Enoch Nyawuve. The story of Enoch is quite sad and deserves immediate assistance. Enoch hails from a village called Adidogome on Ghana-Togo border and about some weeks ago, Enoch was not feeling well, his mom, Baatso not having money, made the decision to take Enoch to a local herbalist.  the local doctor upon examination gave them an oral concoction medicine for the boy to drink twice a day, Baatso brought her boy back home with the medicine but no one, not even Enoch mom was prepared for what was about to happen. After administering the oral medication to Enoch, the boy suddenly became restless, itchy all over his body, complained of shortness of breath and his skin color began to turn pale. Unsure of what was going on, and with Baatso not familiar with allergic reactions in medications, she gave Enoch even more doses of the medicine, hoping that will help clear it up. Baatso soon realized something very wrong was going on with her son and sent Enoch to the hospital in a nearby town, where he was admitted but, as some of you may be aware, Ghana, just as many other third-world countries practice "cash and carry healthcare system", this means one has to pay upfront before getting medical care except if you have health insurance, something Enoch and his family does not have. It was concluded Enoch must have been allergic to the concoction he got initially but unable to pay for the cost of his treatment, and as sad as it sounds, Baatso brought her son back home from the hospital after he got stabilized as she could not finncially afford more treatment . She then heard of VIMA through a local elder and brought the boy to the VIMA orphanage at tsibu for assistance. We immediately saw an urgent need for us to take action and with an initial $100 donated by one of our sympathizers, we sent Enoch to the Volta Regional Hospital at Ho for immediate initial assessment. Since the allergic reaction, Enoch is unable to open his eye lids and cannot see. His speech is slurred and his gait unstable. The eye specialist at the hospital stated he needs to undergo surgery to determine the extent of damage to his sight and what can be done to correct it. Enoch also may have to undergo speech and physical therapy at some point. We are not sure how much all this will cost, but speaking with the eye doctor, we know the eye surgery alone may cost $2,000 approximately. 
Even though we do not have the funds, we realized we could not turn Enoch away as this may be his only chance at survival, we therefore calling on all VIMA well-wishers and sympathizers to assist us in monetary donation towards Enoch medical bills. Enoch just as all other children under our care deserves a chance at life, he deserves all the good and kindness in this world and he is fighting for his life. Since getting to know Enoch, we have tried in our little way to improve his living condition. we bought him clothes, shoes and have provided special transportation and feeding money for him and his mom Baatso , including a translator for their hospital trips. It is our hope that this little boys story will touch your heart and that you can donate towards his medical care. For those of you who cannot donate financially, we ask that you remember Enoch in your prayers and please share Enoch story with friends, church members, co-workers and family. No child should go through so much because of the frailties and financial incapabilities of their parents.  Thank you and God bless you, we will keep you posted.