Rotary Club of Abuja Maitama has donated N1.2 million to a four-year-old girl, Elizabeth Chineyenwa Nwokocha, who has cancer ailment.
The donation included N1,097,000 cheque and N107,000 cash.
Elizabeth, who was expected to undergo 24 sessions of chemotherapy, has had six before her parents got financially stuck.
But the Rotary Club of Abuja Maitama rallied round the child to raise funds for her care at the National Hospital in Abuja.
Members of the club came out in large numbers to identify with Elizabeth’s challenge and presented a N1.2 million cheque and other essential commodities as part of the first phase of their intervention.
At the presentation of the donation, the president of the Rotary Club of Abuja Maitama, Yusuf Alli, said, “As part of our humanitarian focus, we decided to rally round Elizabeth because of the trauma she is going through and lack of funds to bear her burden by her parents.
“It is our calling to save lives. For Elizabeth, we will do all we can to put her back on her feet. No kobo is too small or big to assist the needy like our little girl.
“If all Nigerians can lend helping hands to those disadvantaged, our society will be better. I urge Nigerians to join Rotary International to foster peace and promote development in the world.”
On her part, the Rotary International District 9125 chairperson on Empowering Girls, Rtn. Lovina Okon-Ntui, said: “We commend RC Abuja Maitama for accepting the challenge to assist Elizabeth who has been struggling to survive.
“With this intervention, she will be able to undergo her medical sessions to have a normal life cycle. There are many like Elizabeth who we need to help in society. I appeal to other clubs to reach out to more indigent patients.”
Overwhelmed by the gesture, Mrs Franscica Jecinta Nwokocha said, “I am happy that the Rotary Club of Abuja Maitama intervened on time to save Elizabeth. I had lost hope but Rotarians have brought me joy.
“Kindly extend my appreciation to all those who have contributed in cash and kind for our baby.”
The father of the girl, Ikechukwu Justice Nwokocha, said, “I will forever be grateful to Rotary International for bailing my family out of this predicament.”
