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Sad. We could not save Mayowa Ahmed. A beautiful young lady with a budding career in catering and management, but lost the battle to ovarian cancer. Her story and so many circumstances that led to her death will for a while linger in the hearts of Nigerians who within 3 days after taking up the campaign raised about eighty million naira in her local account, and USD100, 000 in her Go-fund me account. Here are 5 lessons we should all learn from the whole issue.
The late Mayowa
Educate Ourselves:
Even though we face the toughest of times, there is this thing that will always bind us together – Humanity. Compassion. We are all such a generous soul easily moved by pathetic situations, that we didn't even care to look up on the the stage the ovarian cancer was, and its survival rates. Not many of asked for the papers before we poured in our savings. Such a beautiful moment to be a Nigerian, it reminds us that humanity holds a special place in our hearts. And it's commendable. But when issues like this arise, we should take time to educate ourselves very well, pass the knowledge on to people – so that we won't be burnt in the fire of its grave consequences.
Celebs Should Stop Crying Wolf:
Celebrities are adorable. Especially those ones that have taken up one humanitarian cause or the other. Their fame has been useful in charting new cause and giving hope to the less privileged. For a a Drama Queen like Toyin Aimhaku – whose talent cannot be underrated in the movie industry, and who perhaps wanted to take the glory of #SaveMayowa for herself, should always think before they act. Her efforts is laudable – putting her name and her acting career on the line to save a terminally ill patient. She was lashed at for being so hasty and rushing to judgement and denouncing the young woman's family, and joining the band wagon to tag it a scam. The criticism is: Why be part of it since you knew it was a scam? She didn't do her research before crying wolf? Perhaps she wanted to take the glory of Mayowa's survival? So many yabs thrown at her character and temperament. It would have been sensible if she was sure of the whole issue before tagging it a scam.
Professional Reportage:
Hasty Reportage Kills. We live in a modern age. Social media platforms and other technology channeles have been responsible for helping people and uplifted tens and thousands of people from misery. Need to say that excellent reportage makes a difference in the lives of people everywhere. Especially with online media platforms and the so-called gist bloggers, we are so quick to break news – we want to be first to inform the public. But this rush should not rub off the place of professionalism and getting to know the truth behind the whole issue. The fact that some online platforms rushed to tag it a scam changed the perception of Nigerians that donated generously to the cause and started having second thought towards their kind gesture. The ability to inquire of both sides of the story, and present it as it is is what Professionalism is important. Our audience should be informed, and our contents should not be divisive, and capable of spreading hate.
Our Health System: Nigeria health care system is in shambles. From ill-diagnosis to the delay at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital to Reddington – swinging a terminally ill patient up and down is a cause of concern and worry how porous how healthcare system is. The hospital was also so quick to cleanse off its hands from the issue, with claims that they already informed the family she won't survive it.
Family Members Should Communicate the Truth: One thing stands out in #SaveMayowa Case; the family members did not communicate the truth of the matter. This was responsible for why the story was blown beyond proportion.
According to Aramide Kasumu, founder of Lifestake Foundation and one of those who worked to raise funds for #SaveMayowa, she said: “It started from her ovaries and moved to her liver, which gave her liver metastasis. Basically, it is not curable, and if it is curable, it is the just Grace of God. When I got the story, I took it up, and I called the CMD to get her to LUTH. Before she got to LUTH, they were already waiting for her. When I brought her to LUTH, the first thing the doctor said to me is that no airline will carry her, because she is too frail to travel. Before I brought her to LUTH, she was at home. It was almost as if they (the family) already knew what the case was. You know how the doctors will tell you that the cancer is already in the last stage, let her stay home”.
“They said they had already called the hospital in America, they needed $100,000. They mailed it to me, I looked at it. It now dawned on me that the hospital in America said treatment is going to cost $3,000 – $30,000 per treatment, and she needed 10-50 treatments. Technically, what she needed was N150 million, but that wasn’t what they raised. All they just picked was the $100,000.
“The hospital also said to them that she needs $1,780 for an invitation. There was no invitation, no visa, nothing! So they already knew what they were doing from the onset.”
And also, there were conflicting travel arrangements. First, we learnt that she would be flown to the United States – and that was what the donations were premised on; later Dubai, and then South Africa, where she later gave up the ghost. It was after the whole issue was 'out-of-hand', that was when the family members had to come out with a statement. That was pretty too late.
–
Hearts out to Mayowa Ahmed's family. And we also wish Mayowa an eternal rest. #SaveMayowa's case should serve as a lesson for every girl, young lady to do PAP Smear at least every 3 years. There are certain cancers that young girls are checked for at least once every three years.
Pap smear (also called a Pap test) is a screening procedure for cervical cancer. It tests for the presence of precancerous or cancerous cells on the cervix, the opening of the uterus.
The late Mayowa
Educate Ourselves:
Even though we face the toughest of times, there is this thing that will always bind us together – Humanity. Compassion. We are all such a generous soul easily moved by pathetic situations, that we didn't even care to look up on the the stage the ovarian cancer was, and its survival rates. Not many of asked for the papers before we poured in our savings. Such a beautiful moment to be a Nigerian, it reminds us that humanity holds a special place in our hearts. And it's commendable. But when issues like this arise, we should take time to educate ourselves very well, pass the knowledge on to people – so that we won't be burnt in the fire of its grave consequences.
Celebs Should Stop Crying Wolf:
Celebrities are adorable. Especially those ones that have taken up one humanitarian cause or the other. Their fame has been useful in charting new cause and giving hope to the less privileged. For a a Drama Queen like Toyin Aimhaku – whose talent cannot be underrated in the movie industry, and who perhaps wanted to take the glory of #SaveMayowa for herself, should always think before they act. Her efforts is laudable – putting her name and her acting career on the line to save a terminally ill patient. She was lashed at for being so hasty and rushing to judgement and denouncing the young woman's family, and joining the band wagon to tag it a scam. The criticism is: Why be part of it since you knew it was a scam? She didn't do her research before crying wolf? Perhaps she wanted to take the glory of Mayowa's survival? So many yabs thrown at her character and temperament. It would have been sensible if she was sure of the whole issue before tagging it a scam.
Professional Reportage:
Hasty Reportage Kills. We live in a modern age. Social media platforms and other technology channeles have been responsible for helping people and uplifted tens and thousands of people from misery. Need to say that excellent reportage makes a difference in the lives of people everywhere. Especially with online media platforms and the so-called gist bloggers, we are so quick to break news – we want to be first to inform the public. But this rush should not rub off the place of professionalism and getting to know the truth behind the whole issue. The fact that some online platforms rushed to tag it a scam changed the perception of Nigerians that donated generously to the cause and started having second thought towards their kind gesture. The ability to inquire of both sides of the story, and present it as it is is what Professionalism is important. Our audience should be informed, and our contents should not be divisive, and capable of spreading hate.
Our Health System: Nigeria health care system is in shambles. From ill-diagnosis to the delay at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital to Reddington – swinging a terminally ill patient up and down is a cause of concern and worry how porous how healthcare system is. The hospital was also so quick to cleanse off its hands from the issue, with claims that they already informed the family she won't survive it.
Family Members Should Communicate the Truth: One thing stands out in #SaveMayowa Case; the family members did not communicate the truth of the matter. This was responsible for why the story was blown beyond proportion.
According to Aramide Kasumu, founder of Lifestake Foundation and one of those who worked to raise funds for #SaveMayowa, she said: “It started from her ovaries and moved to her liver, which gave her liver metastasis. Basically, it is not curable, and if it is curable, it is the just Grace of God. When I got the story, I took it up, and I called the CMD to get her to LUTH. Before she got to LUTH, they were already waiting for her. When I brought her to LUTH, the first thing the doctor said to me is that no airline will carry her, because she is too frail to travel. Before I brought her to LUTH, she was at home. It was almost as if they (the family) already knew what the case was. You know how the doctors will tell you that the cancer is already in the last stage, let her stay home”.
“They said they had already called the hospital in America, they needed $100,000. They mailed it to me, I looked at it. It now dawned on me that the hospital in America said treatment is going to cost $3,000 – $30,000 per treatment, and she needed 10-50 treatments. Technically, what she needed was N150 million, but that wasn’t what they raised. All they just picked was the $100,000.
“The hospital also said to them that she needs $1,780 for an invitation. There was no invitation, no visa, nothing! So they already knew what they were doing from the onset.”
And also, there were conflicting travel arrangements. First, we learnt that she would be flown to the United States – and that was what the donations were premised on; later Dubai, and then South Africa, where she later gave up the ghost. It was after the whole issue was 'out-of-hand', that was when the family members had to come out with a statement. That was pretty too late.
–
Hearts out to Mayowa Ahmed's family. And we also wish Mayowa an eternal rest. #SaveMayowa's case should serve as a lesson for every girl, young lady to do PAP Smear at least every 3 years. There are certain cancers that young girls are checked for at least once every three years.
Pap smear (also called a Pap test) is a screening procedure for cervical cancer. It tests for the presence of precancerous or cancerous cells on the cervix, the opening of the uterus.
