Thursday, November 27, 2008


AS REPORTED ON CAMEROON RADIO TELEVISION WEBSITE





12/11/2008: The story of Fuh Bright Afangwei can hardly be told without holding back tears.
Born of 23-year, Fuh Godwill and 21-year Ambesso Gladys, the story of this 4-year little boy started in 2006 when the child complained of right eye pain. The parents whose monthly income can be estimated at 25000 FRS CFA ($50) instantly took their first son in quest of a proper diagnosis.After criss-crossing a numbers of health centres in the small locality of Bafut where they lived, the boy was later referred to Acha Annex in Bafoussam, a Hospital reputed for treating relatively complicated eye problems.Godwill and Gladys welcomed the doctor’s proposal to carry out a surgery on the sick eye; they even braved the financial cost involved in the treatment.Bright’s right eye was operated upon; that was to begin a new page in the medical history of this little boy who was just two at the time.Four months after the operation, Bright’s mother recounts that the skin around the eye progressively bloated.Several consultations at other medical centres proved fruitless, and Gladys and Godwill cried aloud for help.The Director of the Bamenda Provincial Hospital heard the cry of desperation and referred Bright to the Obstetric, Gynaecological Hospital Yaoundé.In his referral letter of 23rd October 2008, the Director noted that the child had been diagnosed with Right Orbital Tumour.Since then, this family from Bafut, a rural area in the North West Province , is painfully subjected to the odds of Yaoundé, the capital city.The burden is heavy but they still cling on hope even though, there have been no apparent improvement on the child, so far.Close to six weeks after this new adventure, no solution seems to be insight and as one of our readers indicated, the clock is ticking faster for Bright and the confused Gladys and Godwill now depend on people of goodwill to give them more reason to hope.

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Bright Fuh the Little Cameroonian Child who needs our Urgent Help!!!!!

Bright is a jovial 4 year old, suffering from an aggressive Retinoblastoma, per initial discussions with his doctors in Cameroon. Retinoblastoma is a rare form of cancer that begins in the part of the eye called the retina, which is a thin layer of nerve tissue that enables us to see. Most cases are unilateral (involving only one eye) as in Brightʼs case, but some may be bilateral. If the retinoblastoma spreads, it can spread to the lymph nodes, bones, or the bonemarrow. Rarely, it involves the central nervous system.


Thank you for reading this Special Issue of our Newsletter, presenting a special child who needs our help. Bright Fuh is a little 4 year old in Cameroon who needs urgent help. AWDF has set up a Special Committee of friends and supporters who want to help in every way possible. Our goal is to raise funds and get Bright treated in the United States of America. We need your help so please join us.
ABOUT BRIGHT FUH

Bright is a jovial 4 year old, suffering from an aggressive Retinoblastoma, per initial discussions with his doctors in Cameroon. Retinoblastoma is a rare form of cancer that begins in the part of the eye called the retina, which is a thin layer of nerve tissue that enables us to see. Most cases are unilateral (involving only one eye) as in Brightʼs case, but some may be bilateral. If the retinoblastoma spreads, it can spread to the lymph nodes, bones, or the bonemarrow. Rarely, it involves the central nervous system.


Bright and his mother Gladys
In Brigh's case, his tumor is unilateral, and per conversations with the doctors taking care of him in Cameroon, it is growing aggressively. He had surgery 2 years ago to remove the tumor but it has recurred with a rather aggressive growth, now involving over half of his face, extending into his facial bone structures and also some involvement of his brain tissue.
We are also informed he began chemo therapy to slow down the growth of this tumor with very little success as you can see from the pictures. At this point, intervention will not only be a shot at improving his quality of life but also at saving his life.


At this point, it is needless to say that bright's quality of life is not even close to what we would like to see for a 4 year old. He gets stares from people all day long, live with the pain and discomfort of his condition. What however gives us the hope and drive to help Bright is his great spirit.

He is playful whenever he can find a friend who is not scared of him, his voice is commanding with the desire for a better life, a chance to live, he sends us a message through his gracious smile hidden behind this growth that he just wants to be a happy little boy, with big dreams too.


Lets put our efforts together and give this child a chance. Lets give ourselves a chance to know we responded to a call for a good deed too, by helping Bright. Lets give Bright a chance to show us his real smile.

By Gwendoline Shang MD
Friends of Bright Fuh Committee