May 27, 2019
By Ibrahim Tarawallie
Cross section of Indian Community members posed with Ishmael Koroma and Cremelda Parkinson-Pratt of Thinking Pink
The Committee of the Indian Association in Sierra Leone has come to the aid of a cancer patient, Ishmael Koroma, by providing of two air tickets plus three thousand dollars ($3,000) for overseas treatment.
A final year student at Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone, 26 years old Ishmael Koroma has been suffering from cancer of the bone since August 2018 with little help coming from people.
He was very much grateful to the Indian community for their timely intervention to help save his life as he has been crying for help for the past two months.
In a somber mood, he said: “Thank you very much for supporting me. I have been calling for support for the past two months and I am happy the Indian Community has come to my aid. This is more than a gesture, philanthropism and help. I am grateful and appreciated this so much.”
He also thanked Choithram Memorial Hospital for conducting further investigation to ascertain that indeed it was bone cancer.
Representing the Indian Community, Dr. Kishore Shankerdas said: “Bone cancer is something I will not even wish for my enemies. We had about your plight Ishmael and the Committee of the Indian Association though it best to give a small token. We will be here praying for you for a successful surgery.”
Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Thinking Pink Breast Cancer Foundation, Cremelda Parkinson-Pratt, thanked the Indian community for taking such a bold step to help Ishmael, who has been diagnosed with bone cancer.
“Because we lack the infrastructure in Sierra Leone, we will have to flying him to India for surgery. The hospital where the surgery will be carried asked for $25,000 but we were able to bring it down to $20,000. Ishmael has a zest to succeed and we cannot sit down and watch him die from cancer. What you have done is to show love for country and humanity. He will be traveling next week because cancer cannot wait. It progresses every day,” she said.
She called for the establishment of a cancer center in Sierra Leone to help eradicate the many deaths of cancer among young people.