Sick Pikin Flies Two More Kids for Surgery
By Mohamed Konneh
The Sick Pikin project has once again sent two children for surgeries in India. Both kids are suffering from congenital heart disease and needed surgery to cure their illness.
“This event marks a significant milestone as we announce the first set of children selected to travel in 2025 to India for immediate surgeries, said Madam Alice Morsho Bah, the Sick Pikin Project Coordinator said.
The pronouncement was made at the Caritas Freetown Office, St. Edward's Compound Kingtom, in Freetown during a presser by the organization.
Lead Campaigner Ishmeal Alfred Charles was quick to point out that USD$30,000 is the sum put together that was raised for the travel and surgery for both kids, while thanking former Leone Stars Captain and defender, Steven Caulker who donated USD$12,000 as money accrued from his outing with the Sierra Leone national team.
The two children have already departed the shores of Sierra Leone on 12th March 2025 en-route to India for the operations.
The kids will be accompany by their mothers to India and will stay for the next one month during this period.
“Let me also used this occasion to thank Guru Nanak, Zenith Bank, Rokel and many other donors who contributed the sum of 100 hundred thousand New Leones during the Sick Pikin Marathon in December of 2024,” Lead Campaigner said.
“The Bank of Sierra Leone also contributed 30 thousand New Leones towards the Sick Pikin project. All of these monies, plus the ones we raised from the street are part of the thirty thousand Dollars we are now using to send the two kids to India.”
Charles noted that there is still a long way to go adding that there are more kids on the list of the Sick Pikin project who needed surgery to get them well again.
“When we think that we have made progress, the more we have more children coming forward with rare disease that cannot be cured in country.
“Many people in public life are praising the work of Sick Pikin, but we are not talking about a better facility where all of these cases will be attended to.”
When we have our state officials going to our public facilities for medication then we will have hope that not every time we will go begging just to fly kids out of the country for medication, Lead Campaigner stated.
He also thanked the Cindarela Travel Agency who donated one Ticket for one of the Kids, Ghassay Jalloh to make the trip to India.
Mabinty Kamara, the mother of John Kamara one of the two kids traveling to India could not hold her tears while explaining the pain she has gone through since giving birth to her child.
“My son has been struggling with this heart disease since he was born. We have been admitted severally and it was only last year we were introduced to the Sick Pikin project,” she said.
“I know this is time for my boy to get well. I don’t know what to say but I’m happy today that we are traveling for my son’s surgeries.”
The two mothers express happiness while recounting the struggles they have endured all these while. Prayers were offered for the kids by Rev, Fr. Peter Konteh as they get ready for the journey to India.
