Baby with hole in heart gets financial aid

When Mr. and Mrs. Awuku’s first child was born on the eve of their wedding anniversary, they were besides themselves with joy.

This joy was however short-lived when it was discovered that Baby Elaine had three holes in her heart – a condition medically known as atrioventricular septal defect (AVSD).

According to doctors, after they are born, babies with AVSD may be breathless and have problems feeding. This leads to chest infections and difficulty putting on weight. Once AVSD is diagnosed, the child will need surgery before he or she is nine months old, else stands the risk of having ‘heart failure’.

Seven months on, Elaine requires urgent surgery in the next four months, or stands the risk of losing her life. Unfortunately, the condition cannot be treated in Ghana. Doctors recommended a surgery at the Apollo Children’s Hospital in India, without which she would die in four months. Her parents were however unable to raise the USD 8,500 needed for the surgery.

“We’ve had countless sleepless nights,” Kweku Awuku, Elain’s father recounted. “There were times that I would stay up all night, surfing the net looking for help.”

Then, staff of Stanbic Bank stepped in. In less than two weeks, they contributed to raise the USD 8500 needed for the surgery.

According to Linda Aryee, Communications and Special Projects Officer, Stanbic Bank, the staff were moved by little Elaine’s story, so they did all they could to make the surgery possible.

“We are delighted to be part of this life saving initiative,” she said. “As a bank, apart from helping Ghanaians secure their financial health, we also look out to save lives, as seen in some of the numerous projects that we have embarked on.”

Receiving the cheque, Elaine’s father expressed thanks to staff of Stanbic for their charitable act.

“We are eternally grateful for this timely intervention,” he said. “We don’t know how we could have raised this amount in such little time.”

He also expressed appreciation to Starr FM and Graphic Communications for helping appeal for more funds through their media.

Staff of Stanbic are committed to contributing and financially empowering the less privileged - a culture which is in tandem with Stanbic Bank’s culture of supporting and caring for the vulnerable. Staff of the Bank are also often encouraged to identify and contribute towards offering social support in education, sports development, the agricultural sector, poverty relief, health and environmental protection.

This year, staff of the Bank have spearheaded CSR projects such as the donation of a neonatal phototherapy machine to the Ridge Hospital, setting up of a trust fund for two children of a deceased kidney patient, refurbishment of the Children’s Wing of the Tetteh Quarshie Memorial Hospital, Mampong Akwapim as well as donation of food items to several orphanages across the country.