MDMF to launch Awareness program on Hodgkin’s Lymphoma cancer

 

Michael De-Graft Memorial Foundation (MDMF), a Christian organization in the business of spreading the message of Christ’s love and redemptive power across the nation, is embarking on an exercise to create public awareness on the existence of Hodgkin’s Lymphoma Cancer.

MDMF provides timely interventions to cancer patients while connecting patients to critical support aimed at improving survival rates and securing the future of many young people in Ghana.

Hodgkin’s lymphoma is a type of cancer that affects the lymphatic system, which is part of the body’s germ-fighting immune system.

In Hodgkin’s lymphoma, white blood cells called lymphocytes grow out of control, causing swollen lymph nodes and growths throughout the body.

Signs and symptoms of Hodgkin’s lymphoma may include: painless swelling of lymph nodes in your neck, armpits or groin persistent fatigue, Fever, Night sweats, Losing weight without trying, Severe itching, Pain in the lymph nodes after drinking alcohol, among others.

Founder of the Michael De-Graft Memorial Foundation (MDMF), Madam Joan Yarboi, disclosed that, the main aim of the Foundation is to create an awareness about the existence of Hodgkin’s Lymphoma type of cancer disease that affects the youth between the ages of 15 to 30.

She narrated that in 2017, her son was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma type of cancer which they did not know anything about.

“Through research, we realized that it affects youth from 15 to 30 and after a long treatment in the country and outside, he gave up,” she recounted.

According to her, at the initial stage, Doctors thought it was malaria and so were treating him with malaria medications. It took them a long time to diagnose him with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma cancer.

According to her, when you go to Korle-Bu and 37 hospitals, there are a lot of the youth who have been diagnosed with the disease of which some have lost their lives.

“With my son, we saw that he was experiencing a lot of itching and rashes on him and then, coughs a lot as if it was TB, but, it wasn’t because he was treated with TB medications. He was losing weight drastically. He sweat at night a lot and there was a lot of body changes on him. That is how come we got to know that it is a type of cancer that affect the youth,” she added.

She advised parents to ensure early diagnoses of the disease for early treatment because when it gets it can be fatile.

“Parents must also take some symptoms that appears on their children serious and quickly send them to hospital because Hodgkin’s Lymphoma cancer is very very real,” she stated.

Madam Yarboi disclosed that, Michael De-Graft Memorial Foundation support children whose parents are financially handicap but have been diagnosed. She also appealed to NGOs, Government agencies and individuals to join hands with them to support children with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma cancer since it’s treatment cost a lot.

The late Michael De-Graft on whose behalf the foundation was formed, happens to be the only child of Madam Joan Yarboi. Michael died of Hodgkin’s Lymphoma cancer type at the age of 19 when he was a level 300 student at the UPSA.

Meanwhile, the foundation have taken upon themselves to go to the various schools across the country to educate students, to create awarenesses about the disease and spread the message of Jesus Christ’s love to everyone especially, children – a wish from Michael De-Graft before he died.

The last message from the late Mr. Michael De-Graft before his passing”

“I’m eternally grateful to Jesus Christ for the great and mighty things he has done in my life. He comforted me when I had nobody. He healed my diseases and made me a new being. Jesus is always ready and willing to be there for any of us, all we have to do is open up and call unto Him and He will answer us and deliver us from our problems. My newly discovered walk with Jesus has been amazing so far and I hope a lot more of you will join me on this path”

The program will officially be launched on May 30, 2022 at Parma Hotel off Spintex Road in Accra.