Man Celebrates One-Year Anniversary Of Rescuing Malnourished Child
Benjamin Itu, founder of the Hold My Hand Foundation, a non-governmental organization (NGO) that cares for street and abandoned children, has taken to social media to celebrate one-year of rescuing a toddler from the streets last year.
Itu, on Wednesday, shared the joyous moment on Facebook. “Today is Saviour’s 1-year anniversary under our care. We celebrated him with a game of Ludo, and Savior won. Join me and celebrate our Winner Boy.”
Saviour’s story began when he was just two years old and was abandoned outside a house in Akwa-Ibom State. The toddler was found emaciated with visible ribs and sunken eyes, and many gave up hope on him.
“It took us over three weeks engaging the community to be able to move them to the hospital in 2023 and I made the official report on September 11, 2023.
“We returned them on January 23, 2024 and went back on a visit with foodstuffs and money for their upkeep on April 7, 2024 and met him in a worse state because of further negligence,” he said.
However, the Hold My Hand Foundation refused to give up and took Saviour in, providing him with care and medical attention.
According to Itu, Saviour’s growth was stunted due to trauma and lack of food, and his age was only detectable through his dentition.
He added that he was diagnosed with marasmic kwashiorkor, a severe form of malnutrition, as well as bacterial infection and compromised internal organs.
The foundation’s efforts paid off, and Saviour has since regained much flesh and is doing well.
“On April 8, 2024 we took him to the hospital again and then from there we took him to our house and he’s been with us since then,” he disclosed.
Itu revealed that Saviour’s cousin, Victory, and his mother, Joy, were located, and the father of Joy’s child was traced to Edo State. However, Saviour’s parents remain untraced.
“It was only Saviour that was left behind since nobody could trace his mother or father,” Itu said.
Man Celebrates One-Year Anniversary Of Rescuing Malnourished Child is first published on The Whistler Newspaper
