Kambou before and after the first surgical operation. His Italian surgeon planned for another surgery
He has a sad story, that is often familiar in Africa when plagued by poverty, handicap, or born with a defect. He is an Ivorian called Kambou Sie, with a nickname, 'Prosper.'
As a normal boy, at the age of 11, Kambou had a rare form of facial cancer that severely disfigured his face. The cancer tumor rapidly spread and literally engulfed his face,
devastating his features.
The poor father couldn't afford the medical cost and the mother, devastated by the condition of her son, at some point, decides to abandon him to his destiny.
"When the disease got worse, everyone left me. My father was the only one looking at me," the young man said. In his first years of life, Kambou, therefore, found himself only with his father with an enormous physical and aesthetic ailment.
The poor father couldn't afford the medical cost and the mother, devastated by the condition of her son, at some point, decides to abandon him to his destiny.
"When the disease got worse, everyone left me. My father was the only one looking at me," the young man said. In his first years of life, Kambou, therefore, found himself only with his father with an enormous physical and aesthetic ailment.
The tumor advanced and his face was completely disfigured. The cheeks grew abnormally, as well as the gums, and the ability to open the eyes severely impaired. Almost his entire face had been covered by the growth of the tumor.
He could barely breathe as a result of the gigantic size of the tumor, which was treated with ointments. He was shunned by the community and considered the fruit of a divine curse.
At the age of 17, Kambou Prosper Sie found a
modicum of hope. The father contacted the Liliane Foundation through a nun, a
charity specializing in the care of disabled children in developing countries.
And, in turn, an association, known as 'Una voce per Padre Pio,' meaning the 'Voice of Father Pio,' which provides social and medical assistance in Ivory Coast made a video appeal for help and he found one
That paved the way for Kambou to travel to Naples, in Italy, to undergo a surgical operation, removing a certain number of tumors to reduce the size of the tumor. Doctors made it clear that the tumor was a very rare deadly form of cancer, Burkitt's lymphoma.
The diagnosis was made at Pascale Hospital in Naples where tissue samples were removed from Kambou's face to establish the cause of the disease for appropriate treatment.
The hematologist Ferdinando Frigeri said that the young man's tumor was growing more slowly than many people with a similar disease. He received chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and stem cell replacement therapy to reduce the tumor.
Last summer the boy also had the courage to show the progress of his treatment on TV, with a face that is gradually recovering, albeit with difficulty and slowly, given the rare disease against which he fights, his traits.
And, in turn, an association, known as 'Una voce per Padre Pio,' meaning the 'Voice of Father Pio,' which provides social and medical assistance in Ivory Coast made a video appeal for help and he found one
That paved the way for Kambou to travel to Naples, in Italy, to undergo a surgical operation, removing a certain number of tumors to reduce the size of the tumor. Doctors made it clear that the tumor was a very rare deadly form of cancer, Burkitt's lymphoma.
The diagnosis was made at Pascale Hospital in Naples where tissue samples were removed from Kambou's face to establish the cause of the disease for appropriate treatment.
The hematologist Ferdinando Frigeri said that the young man's tumor was growing more slowly than many people with a similar disease. He received chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and stem cell replacement therapy to reduce the tumor.
Last summer the boy also had the courage to show the progress of his treatment on TV, with a face that is gradually recovering, albeit with difficulty and slowly, given the rare disease against which he fights, his traits.
Kambou instantly became a celebrity and his condition invited him to the Vatican City to see Pope Francis. After the successful surgery, Kambou went back to his native country and when the people saw him, they couldn't believe how his condition has improved.
According to Vincenzo, "after the first therapies, Prosper lost seven kilos due to the side effects, but he has strength and will to live on because he knows that this cure is the only hope for his healing."
He hopes to hug his mother again, Prosper. Now, the boy is in the room of Hematology, the division directed by Antonello Pinto al Pascale. Eat a puff pastry. He feels a bit Neapolitan and Pascale's doctors have almost adopted him.
The man who was considered to be cursed and shunned by the community became a center of admiration, as he was hugged by the people who had previously lost interest in him. Plans are underway for him to have his second surgery.
The original story in Italian appeared in Fanpage.It newspaper
According to Vincenzo, "after the first therapies, Prosper lost seven kilos due to the side effects, but he has strength and will to live on because he knows that this cure is the only hope for his healing."
He hopes to hug his mother again, Prosper. Now, the boy is in the room of Hematology, the division directed by Antonello Pinto al Pascale. Eat a puff pastry. He feels a bit Neapolitan and Pascale's doctors have almost adopted him.
The man who was considered to be cursed and shunned by the community became a center of admiration, as he was hugged by the people who had previously lost interest in him. Plans are underway for him to have his second surgery.
The original story in Italian appeared in Fanpage.It newspaper
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