I do not have a fancy article to write today and I won’t be writing about politics or some other social problem either.

Today I write to ask for your help. I received a facebook message from an old schoolmate about a month ago, it was quite lengthy so I almost skipped it but something caught my attention about his message. In addition to the lengthy message he sent, he wrote, “we completed in the same year at Sutesco” “I’m in need now” “Please try and help me in any way you can help me walk again”.

I didn’t immediately recognize him when I received the message, but those three short sentences made me pause to check his profile picture and yes indeed I knew him from SUTESCO. I got back to reading his message (the lengthy one) and ever since it has been bugging me because I feel so helpless because of the amount he needs.

For the benefit of my readers I will paste his full message before I continue with the article:

“We completed in the same year at Sutesco

I'm in need now

Please try and help me in any way you can to help me walk again

MY JOURNEY (RAISING FUNDS FOR STEM CELL THERAPY)

My name is Alexander Adu Kankam, a former student of SUHUM SECONDARY TECHNICAL SCHOOL (SUTESCO/ABENFO) and PRESBYTERIAN COLLEGE OF EDUCATION, AKROPONG. I am a teacher but I’m unable to go to work due to a spinal cord injury I sustained in 2016 which has left me paralyzed waist down.

It all happened at dawn on 3rd February 2016 at the Suhum roundabout (over-head): I was on my way to board a car to Afram Plains (where I teach) with a friend. On our way, we saw a trailer trying to overtake a VIP bus under the over-head. Due to the narrowness of the road, the trailer skidded from the main road to the pedestrain walkway, running into my friend and I. All I could remember from that point was me lying in the middle of the road calling for help. I later found out that my friend died.

I was then taken from Suhum Gov’t Hospital to Koforidua St. Joseph Hospital and later referred to 37 Military Hospital

At 37, I was supposed to undergo two main surgeries

• On my right leg ( ie Open Distal 3rd Tibial and fibula fracture)

• To decompress my spinal cord ( ie paraplegia with T11/12 cord compression from T12 burst fracture)

The first surgery on my right leg was successful but the second surgery was complicated because of bed sore on my back and even around the region where the surgery was supposed to be done.

After five months at 37, I was then discharged home to come and treat the wounds and report back when they are healed.

After a year of treating the wounds, we went back to 37 Military Hospital only to be told that “I should accept that this is how I would be “ because the surgery on my spinal cord was supposed to help me sit but since I can now sit without the surgery then there won’t be any surgery for me again.

After our visit to 37, we have tried everything: herbal, physical therapy and spiritual means but there hasn't been any improvement. My injury has made me lose control of my urine, bowel movement (toilet) and have to battle severe pains, tingling and burning sensations which give me sleepless nights since February 2016. I even sometimes have to use my hands to pull out my faeces after days of not passing out. It has also caused me and my parents to spend all we have and through all this, I lost my mom last year to cervical cancer.

Few weeks after the visit to 37, I saw a video on facebook by Baffour Awuah Tabury who is in a similar situation seeking for help to raise funds to go for a stem cell therapy in Mumbai – India which can help improve his situation. So I called him and asked him about the hospital and how to get in touch with the doctors.

I contacted the doctors and after accessing my documents they said I would need $18 000.00 for the stem cell therapy to help me walk again

I’m therefore appealing to everyone to help me raise this amount to go for the treatment. Please, nothing is too small. Anyone can call me on 0246862202/ 0505879028

Your generous donation can be sent to

MTN MOBILE MONEY NUMBER 0246862202

ACCOUNT NUMBER: 2211070000023 ( GCB BANK) DONKOKROM BRANCH

ACCOUNT NAME: ALEXANDER KANKAM

One of the reasons why I am passionate about helping Alexander Kankam is because I could have been in his shoes by now. From January 2016 to January 2017 I made almost a hundred trips from Accra to Suhum, or Suhum to Accra, Accra to Kumasi, Suhum to Kumasi, Suhum to Kibi etc.

It was not by my own might that nothing happened to me but by grace. I sometimes travelled late at night around 1:00 am and made return trips on the same day. We encountered several reckless drivers on the road and I almost had an accident twice on the same day. Amazingly, on the next day after a near accident, when I was returning there was an accident right at the spot where I almost had an accident.

So I think I owe it to the God who protected me to help Alexander Kankam in any way possible.

In Matthew 25:34-46 Jesus told a powerful parable about helping others in need I will share that with you also,

34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’

44 “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’

45 “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’

46 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

So it doesn’t matter whether you know Alexander or not, Jesus wants us to help him if we are in a position to help him. The bible again said in Proverbs 14:31 “…but kindness shown to the poor is an act of worship.”

With few words, I would like to plead with all readers, to help Kankam Alexander walk again.

Details of how you can help is in the picture attached to this message. I have also pasted it below.

Thank you all for the help.

0246862202/ 0505879028

Your generous donation can be sent to

MTN MOBILE MONEY NUMBER 0246862202

ACCOUNT NUMBER: 2211070000023 ( GCB BANK) DONKOKROM BRANCH

ACCOUNT NAME: ALEXANDER KANKAM