.Seyifara partners Oyo govt to commemorate Sickle Cell Day
As the world marks the 2024 International Sickle Cell Day, the Ogundoyin family in Eruwa, Oyo State, yesterday, provided resources, drugs and access to healthcare services for Sickle Cell patients in memory of their father, Adeseun Ogundoyin, who died of the genetic disorder 33 years ago, precisely on June 18, 1991.
The family also donated N5 million to the Sickle Cell Hope Alive Foundation (SCHAF) for the needs of persons with Sickle Cell disease.
Speaker, Oyo State House of Assembly, Adebo Ogundoyin, while handing over the cheque to Founder, SCHAF, Prof. Adeyinka Falusi, enjoined the Foundation to judiciously distribute the funds to sickle cell warriors for them to get consumables and needed medications.
The commemorative event was held at the Theophilus Ogunlesi Hall, University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan.
In his address, Speaker, Oyo State House of Assembly, Adebo Ogundoyin, said the anniversary gave him mixed feelings.
He described his late father as a fearless, courageous, and tenacious fighter who fought Sickle Cell disease with all his might until his death on June 18, 1991 at the age of 51.
“It is now 33 years that the music paused and we lost a precious gem, a shining star and a beacon of hope to the cold hands of death.
“I am therefore happy that in continuation of his 33rd anniversary, we are gathered here to commemorate the 2024 International Sickle Cell Day by raising awareness, providing drugs and empowering those affected by the deadly disease to honour the memory of a life well-lived by him and a legacy that continues to inspire us all.
“Just like every other Sickle Cell patient, my father’s struggles with the disease were immense and intense but he never lost hope. Though I was young when he transited to eternity at the age of 51, the sweet memories from my late mother and other family members, his life and times as narrated by his friends, associates, religious and community leaders, great exploits and feats recorded by him as I read them in the dailies and magazines, his enduring legacies of compassion, community service and selflessness have continued to illuminate our lives and make us proud.
“I must say that his life was a demonstration of the power of hope and determination which all of us, including those living with the disease, must emulate and imbibe.
Consequently, as his children and family, we have resolved to continue his tireless support to the SCD community by supporting awareness and advocacy on the disease, as well as providing resources, drugs and access to healthcare services for Sickle Cell patients.
In another development, a Non-Government Organisation, Seyifara Foundation, yesterday, joined the Oyo State government and millions of people across the globe to mark the 2024 to World Sickle Cell Day.
Co-founder/ Director of the Foundation, Oluwaseyi Adediran, said such partnership was necessary because the country currently has the largest number of sickle cell victims.
