16:40,
YEREVAN, MARCH 27, ARMENPRESS. A young couple from Uganda was left devastated when their 18 months old baby girl was diagnosed with SCD, aka sick cell anemia, a typically inherited blood disease that may cause multiple health problems.
“Nora was 18 months old when we realized that she’s having trouble standing,” Agnes Achan, the child’s mother, told ARMENPRESS at the Pediatric Cancer and Blood Disorders Center of Armenia. “She was having bouts of fever and cough. We took her for a Malaria test and doctors prescribed antibiotics. But it was getting worse. She lost weight beyond recognition."
After many visits to various doctors, Nora was diagnosed with SCD. Her parents consulted with various hospitals around the world after choosing to travel to Armenia in October of 2022 for their child’s treatment.
This was their first ever visit to the country.
“Today we don’t even want to go back, though we didn’t know anything about your country a few months ago,” Agnes Achan said.
After a successful course of treatment, Nora, now 5, is full of energy, healthy, and is jumping around playfully all day long.
“I am very grateful to this hospital and the City of Smile charitable foundation, which really brought back my baby’s smile. I am grateful to all the doctors and the department of psychological support,” Achan added, noting that the doctors were providing 24/7 assistance.
“I advise all my countrymen in Uganda to come here to this Armenian hospital if they require treatment. The doctors here are very caring, they love children and are very attentive.”
The child was treated using allogeneic stem cell transplantation. Nora’s 3-year-old brother was the donor. He and their father have already returned to Uganda.
The procedure is rather expensive around the world, but it is much cheaper in Armenia. The hospital gets support from City of Smile, the DMKS German organization and the Italian Cure2Children international foundation.
Children from Cameroon and Nigeria have also received allogeneic stem cell transplantation in the hospital.
Nelly Margaryan