Parents helpless as child suffering Respiratory Papillomatosis struggles to survive

Master Odonkor Abednego, 14, pupil of Nsuta Dahomey D/A Basic School, a village in Fanteakwa South District in Eastern Region of Ghana has been diagnosed of Respiratory Papillomatosis by the Ear ,Nose and Throat (ENT) unit of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital in 2015.

However, treatment of his condition has not been smooth as planned by medical doctors due to inability of his parents who are peasant farmers at Abodobi a farming community near Akyem Begoro to foot the medical bills .

Doctors at Korle Bu in 2015 however inserted tracheostomy tube into his airway to aide his breathing.

Recurrent respiratory papillomatosis is caused by human papillomavirus (HPV), a virus that causes skin warts and genital warts. Infants may get infected by this virus as they pass through the birth canal if their mother has an HPV infection of her genital region.

HPV infection of the airway can cause multiple, wartlike growths around the voice box and/or in the windpipe (trachea). The growths often come back (recur) after treatment.

Persons with papillomatosis finds it’s difficult to breathe when sleeping, or they may have difficulty swallowing.

Abednago experience hoarseness, chronic coughing, or breathing problems hence a tracht tube has been inserted into his airwaves to aide breathing However ,Abednago requires numerous procedures to remove the tumors as they reappear but the parents unable to afford the cost of this surgery.

The Samuel Odonkor, father of the boy narrated to Starr News Eastern Regional Correspondent Kojo Ansah who visited them in the village that, “I have six children and one of them is battling with sickness, my child wasn’t like this when we gave birth to him until he was two years. Since 2014 that we realized that he finds it difficult to breath so we sent him to the hospital at Begoro where we spent about one week and and later we were transferred to Koforidua central hospital but we were also transferred to
Korle Bu where they performed one surgery on him and inserted this tube to aide his breathing for the meantime but we were told by the doctor that the tumor is in the throat and it will reappear. The doctor said any attempt to remove the whole thing from the throat will affect him till he dies so they will continue to cut it off whenever it builds up in his throat.

“So the growth in the throat has been operated and cut off for the seventh time at Korle bu hospital. We have been going for review every month and when the year ends the build up in the throat is cut off. I have sold all my properties and all that I have , now I don’t have anything , we even have a debt to settle at Korle Bu Teaching hospital , so am pleading with everyone hearing my voice to come to our aid”.

The condition of Master Odonkor Abednego has disrupted his education.

At age 14 ,he is Currently in class two. Every break time ,he has to walk home for the tube to be cleaned to enable breathing through the trach tube

“Whenever the tube in the throat is chocked and becomes dirty he finds it difficult to breathe, anytime that I am not around to remove and clean the dirt in the tube, you will see him lying motionless as if he is about to die because he is unable to breathe.
So anytime he goes to school the teachers allow him to come home during break time in order to clear and clean the tube for him, if not that it will lead to a lot of problems,”the father narrated.

Denis Ayivi, Headteacher of Dahomey D/A Basic School is worried about the condition of the boy which he says makes him miss classes and examinations.

He added his voice to appeal to philanthropists to come to aide of the boy.

Agnes’s Odonkor, Mother of the Abednego appealed to philanthropists to support the family to take their son through the medical procedures .

“Every month when we go for check up the tube needs to be changed which is very expensive too, and we can’t also afford it because now we are broke , one is Ghc 350. So every month they insert new one and clean the old one , we need only two , we don’t have to buy too many of it .

“We’ve been visiting the hospital though but we can’t afford the amount to change it , so whenever the tube is dirty and chocked , I used syringe to suck and clear the dirt in the tube “.

The family needs G30,000 to complete the medical procedures required to keep the boy alive .

Source : Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh