KIT Blog

Aliyu has a peculiar growth on his leg which has been growing since he was an infant. Abubacca, Aliyu’s father, decided to publicise Aliyu’s condition in the local media around six years ago, when local doctors were unable to provide a diagnosis. Abubacca printed a picture in the local newspaper and made announcements on the radio. Eventually, after Aliyu attended a university hospital in Sokoto, the hospital staff determined that the growth was cancer. Abubacca was devastated as treatment, which he did not want his son to go through, would cost AUD$6,900. After further discussions, it became clear that Aliyu’s diagnosis was inconclusive as no blood samples or biopsies were taken when Aliyu and Abubacca visited two years ago.

Despite the alarming size of the growth, it doesn’t stop him from playing with his classmates. Though he is regularly teased by some of his peers for how he looks.

Despite having an abnormally large growth on his leg, Aliyu has tried to live a normal life. Aliyu says that he doesn’t experience any pain or discomfort, so he still partakes in activities such as soccer without difficulty.

Aliyu sits with his devastated father, who worries that Aliyu will die as a result of his growth. Yet with encouragement and support from The Leprosy Mission staff, he’s feeling more hopeful.

Even though Aliyu would like to pursue further options like a proper diagnosis, he still respects his father’s decision not to pursue things further. His two older sisters and his mother, however, are very unhappy about Aliyu’s condition. Aliyu wishes to be a good role model for his two younger brothers and certainly doesn’t want to die. His future looks bright after discovering a specialist hospital in Gusau which may provide a proper diagnosis.

The school where Aliyu is obtaining an education. He hopes to become a doctor so he can help other people with diseases and illnesses in his community.

His local school, Jabaka Junior Secondary School, was recently identified as a strategic area for a recent campaign by the Integrated Neglected Tropical Disease and Disability Project. Through your support, this event raised awareness of safe sanitation and tropical diseases (such as leprosy and tuberculosis) in areas which wouldn’t have normally had access to these services. Thanks to your generous help, the project has installed new disability access ramps for the classrooms, promoting disability-inclusive education within the school.

Thanks to your support, the Integrated Neglected Tropical Disease and Disability project has installed a new disability-access ramp adjacent to the classrooms. This has promoted the importance of disability-inclusive education for the four children with disabilities at the school.

Aliyu would like to send warm greetings to supporters of this program in Australia:

“I hope you will continue to support this project so that people like me can get the health treatment we need.”
—Aliyu

Melbourne Grammar students at The Leprosy Mission Australia office

This story was written by five students: Tom, Alex, Ted, Charlie, Baoji and Jack from Melbourne Grammar School. They generously volunteered their time to help write this story and help label items in the shop.