Nwosu, Ajunwa feature in novelty match for cancer patients

It was a gathering of ex-professionals last weekend, as former Green Eagles captain, Henry Nwosu and Atlanta ’96 Olympics gold medalist, Chioma Ajunwa engaged players of Lagos Country Club (LCC) in a novelty football match to create awareness for children living with cancer. The event also saw the Foundation’s football club engaging Rotary Club in a football match.

As expected, the ex-professionals team carried the day by defeating LCC by 6-5, while Rotary Club finished third, overpowering Foundation Club 7-3.

Children Living With Cancer Foundation (CLWCF) is a non-government organisation (NGO) set up to cater for the welfare and medication of children apart from providing support for their families.

Speaking at the occasion, founder of CLWCF, Dr. Nneka Nwobi, disclosed that it all started while she was doing her residency at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) in the oncology unit and a two-year 10 months old baby was brought for diagnosis.

According to her: “After taking the history, the top most likely diagnosis was Leukemia, so I told the parents that they would need to investigate the child for leukemia, but they were very upset and asked how I would think a little child would possibly have cancer. At the end of the day, the boy actually had cancer.”

Nwobi added: “The time the baby was discharged, I followed them up, encouraging them to bring him back for treatment, but each time they came, they would spend money for chemotherapy drugs. Eventually, I didn’t see them again until a day before the child died. They complained of not having enough money for the treatment, which spurred me to establish this foundation to create awareness, because if they had come earlier, the child might have lived.