The human eyes are said to be the windows to the soul, but what would you be will to give in exchange to save this all important organ of the body.
The norm is for people in such predicament is to seek public sympathy and support through appeal for funds on a huge media platform but a 27-year-old has done the unthinkable , he is giving up his kidney for sale to help raise funds to restore his failing eye sight.
Prosper Amenyo –Adeku, narrated to Weekend Finder that he had just completed his Senior High education in 2007 and working with a micro-Finance institution when he began experiencing a problem with his eyesight.
He said in 2010, he sought medical attention at the Robert & Sons Limited, is an Accra based optical clinic where he was diagnosed of suffering from glaucoma.
He said he was given an eye glasses and some drugs.
He narrated that, when the condition was not getting any better, he went to another eye clinic where the doctors said he would need a surgical procedure to restore his eyes and so directed him to the Korle -Bu teaching hospital in Accra.
But Prosper has his own skepticism about the surgical procure based on what he claim to have read about his condition. His fear was that a procedure gone wrong could render him completely blind.
According to prosper his initial perception based on what he had heard about the disease was that a better alternative to the surgery procedure surgery were drugs that could be used to control the pressure on the eye.
Again, his skepticism about the surgery to correct his sight was that a procedure gone wrong could leave him permanently blind.
But all these conjectures may just have been a fall out his inability foot the bill of the procedure to have his sight fully resorted.
Last year October however, Prosper began a search on the internet for a potential kidney buyer.
Through his search he came across the Firm Health Ghana foundation, a Tarkwa based a non-governmental organization, an institution that aims at promoting good kidney health through education, advocacy and support for assistance to get a buyer.
Akpah Sylvester, project coordinator, Firm Health Ghana Foundation, who first narrated Prosper’s story to Weekend Finder, said he was touched by the prospers s story when he contacted him asking for a buyer of his kidney.
He said what struck him most was that , Prosper was ready to sell his kidney at a very low price of GHc 8000.
He noted often people contact his outfit to find patients in need of kidney transplant and they quote figures ranging from $6,000 and above.
Akpah Sylvester narrated that when Prosper initially contacted his outfit about his desire to sell his kidney, he directed him to the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital
“There the doctors told me point blank that the gentleman is not qualified because of his condition”, he noted.
Prosper told Weekend Finder; he quoted GHc 8,000 because that was how much he needed for the surgery.
Prosper told weekend finder he can hardly see or write without help
Akpah Sylvester said his organization is currently supporting some patients who are dialysis but due to financial constraints they are unable to take on many patients who may need their support.
In Ghana regulations which allow donation and transplant of organs are none existent
He noted that his organization is now entering into partnership with a hospital in India, after which patients from Ghana can be transferred there to have their kidney transplants done and at a lower cost.
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