Obuasi

Elder Doolin, Elder Nweke and Elder Esplin

Elder Doolin and Nkweke

President Manu and Elder Doolin

Elder and Sister Preator

Christiana

Christiana Manu – A Changed Life

                                                            

                                                

Christiana Manu is a 6 year old girl living in Ghana, Africa.  She is a member of the Obuasi 2^nd Branch of the Ghana Kumasi Mission.  Between two and three years of age it became apparent that she had a bone development disorder which ultimately resulted in severe bowing of the legs – both in the femur and tibia –  above and below the knee.   When Christiana walked, her severely bowed legs, caused her feet to face each other.  The extent of the deformity is captured in the pictures below –

 

     

Christiana is the daughter of Stephen and Esther Manu.  Her father, Stephen Manu, is the president of the Obuasi 2^nd Branch.  President Manu has served faithfully as the Branch President for a number of years.  President and Sister Manu presently have a son serving a mission in the Port Harcourt, Nigeria Mission and five other children including Christiana.

After several discussions with President and Sister Manu, Elder Rodney Palmer, a senior missionary in the Ghana Kumasi Mission, arranged to have Christiana taken for x-rays and consultation with medical doctors to determine the cause and potential treatments of the deformity. On 13 November 2013 X-rays were obtained from the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital and Christiana was examined by Doctors Joshua Arthur and R. Kumah – Ametepey (Senior Specialist – Trauma & Orthopaedies).    The doctors examined Christiana, while Sister Manu and Elder Palmer noted the extent of the deformity.  The doctors concluded that Christiana suffers from “ortho genesis imperfecta” – a bone development disorder that is of genetic origin. The disorder along with early childhood obesity caused the bones to severely bow.  It was concluded that the growth plate in the knee joints were okay but the bowing of the upper leg and lower leg (femur and tibia) were extreme.  The doctors stated that the condition, unchecked, would result in severe joint and back pain as Christiana reached her teen years – in addition to difficulty in walking.         

The recommended treatment was to break the femur and the tibia of each leg and reset the bones to straighten the upper and lower leg.  The surgery would require titanium rods to be placed in the area of each broken leg segment. The surgery could be done at the Lennert Osei-Adu Hospital by Dr. Kumah-Ametepey but would require at least two surgeries doing one leg at a time allowing some healing time before performing similar surgery on the second leg. 

The doctors estimated that the cost would be between 4,500 and 5,000 Ghana Cedis per leg or a total of 9,000 to 10,000 Ghana Cedis.  Additional lab, Xray and other costs may be an additional 500 to 1,000 Ghana Cedis.  The Manu family, including extended family, have sufficient funds to provide a basic living, but have no financial reserves.  President Leon A. Holmes of the Ghana Kumasi Mission, in consultation with Area Welfare Manager, John Buah agreed with and approved fast offering funds to cover the cost of the surgeries.  President and Sister Manu agreed to make a financial contribution towards the surgeries, though the amount was limited, it was a great sacrifice for them to do so.

The surgery on the first leg was performed on 4 December 2013.  The surgery took longer than was initially anticipated, but was very successful.  Sister Manu was able to stay at the hospital with her daughter, which alleviated an early concern of family logistics. Pictured below are some of the after surgery pictures.  The second surgery took place in early January 2014.

       

 

A time for recovery was deemed necessary before surgery on the second leg.  During the recovery period Christiana was blessed with the loving care of her mother and family and Elder Lester and Sister Janice Reiss, senior missionaries in the Ghana Kumasi Mission. There is absolutely no doubt that the Lord’s hand was involved in the diagnosis and treatment of this special young lady.  It was a miracle how the Lord guided the efforts to find just the right doctors and medical personnel and in a very short time the needed treatment was obtained.  Just another evidence of the love the Lord has for his little ones.

 

                 

 

Christiana and members of her family President and Sister Manu and Siblings