Miss Ghana Foundation pays cost of surgery for 9-Year-old with spinal cord defect

The Miss Ghana Foundation (MGF) on Monday, February 14, 2022, extended a helping hand by donating to cater for the cost of surgery to correct a spinal cord defect of a class one pupil, Linda Ocloo.

The Foundation with the kind support of a philanthropist, Mrs. Oghogho Omame Dixon, donated GH₵40,000.00 to Foundation of Orthopaedics and Complex Spine (FOCOS) Hospital to cater for the cost of surgery for the nine-year-old Linda Ocloo, a scoliosis patient.

The donation was the first instalment to commence surgical procedure which would cost GH₵78,400.00 in total.

Linda’s father disclosed that her deformity was noticed in February 2020 and they had been to the Swedru Government Hospital for care on many occasions but were later referred to see a Specialist at FOCOS on february  2021 for further investigation and treatment. 

But for the intervention of the MGF, Linda, a class one pupil of the Catholic Family School at Gomoa Adukwa in the Central Region of Ghana, whose parents are small scale farmers would not have been able to bear the cost of the surgery. 

With keen interest in Science, Linda aspires to become a Medical Doctor in future.

Making the donation, Chairperson of MGF, Miss Inna Mariam Patty, reiterated that the foundation was passionate about impacting lives positively through it projects such as helping pay the cost of surgery for children suffering from scoliosis as one of the firm’s social intervention projects under health. 

She added that this was a unique way of commemorating the Exclusive Events Ghana limited, the organisers of the Miss Ghana Beauty Pageant’s 10th anniversary as Franchise holders of the most prestigious Beauty Pageant in Ghana, by giving back to society.

She hinted that there would be similar social intervention projects in the course of the year to mark the 65th Anniversary of Miss Ghana beauty pageant and the 10th anniversary of Exclusive Events Ghana.

The reigning Queen and Ambassador of MGF, Monique Mawulawe Agbedekpui, said “February is the season of love and for this reason MGF decided to illustrate through a philanthropic gesture which would go a long way to change the life of young Linda.”

Philanthropist, Mrs. Dixon also appealed to individuals and corporate Ghana to support the works of the Miss Ghana Foundation to help impact the lives of mankind.

“My motivation is that my family and I have been blessed in various ways during our stay in Ghana. And as a woman leader who drives women empowerment, I want to give back to the women of Ghana before I leave the country.”

The Chief Executive Officer of FOCOS Hospital Dr. Irene Adorkor Wulff, who received the donation on behalf of the Hospital, commended Miss Ghana Foundation for their kind gesture over the past years and asked for more support for the almost 3000 children waiting in line.

Also present at the ceremony were Miss Ghana title holders, past contestants over the past decade and Mr. Ghana Brand Ambassador; Bright Ofori among others.

By Edem Mensah-Tsotorme