OUR STORIES
At 31, Abasifreke Effiong should have been chasing dreams. Instead, she was chasing answers.
It began subtly—backache, weakness, her left shoulder felt stiff. Then she started struggling to grip things. Her family thought it was exhaustion, maybe stress from work. But as the weakness worsened, fear crept in. There were no answers. Just suggestions: “Try this prayer house.” “See that herbalist.” “Maybe someone’s behind it.”
They tried it all. But nothing stopped the decline.
By the time she was finally taken to a hospital, the diagnosis came like thunder: an advanced spinal cord tumor. The tumor had grown silently, pressing on her spinal nerves. It was too late to reverse what had already been lost. She was paralyzed from the shoulders down.
And then came the second blow—no money for treatment.
Her family had done all they could. But the kind of care she needed—specialist neurosurgery, long-term rehab, intensive support—was far beyond their reach. Hope was slipping again, this time under the weight of financial despair.
Then someone whispered a lifeline:
“Call Brain and Spine Foundation Africa.”
When we met Abasifreke, she had lost movement, but not her fire. Her voice was steady, her eyes unwavering. She wasn’t looking for pity—she was looking for a fighting chance.
We gave her one.
Through the Foundation, she was connected to a network of professionals who understood spinal cord injuries, not just medically—but personally. We provided:
Specialist evaluations and consultations
Financial support to begin her care journey
Mobilizing funding for her surgery
Lifestyle assistance for daily living
Ongoing physical therapy to preserve what function remains.
She is still paralyzed, but not powerless. She is still facing challenges, but not alone.
Abasifreke is why we exist.
Because too many young lives are cut short not by disease alone—but by delay, misdirection, and lack of access.
Because neurological disorders do not ask if you can afford them.
And because healing begins with someone who says,
“We see you. We’ll walk with you. We won’t stop.”
“They came in when no one else could.
They gave us knowledge, support, and above all, a chance to hope again.”
– A family member of Abasifreke
Let’s make sure no one else walks this path alone.
