UPDATE

It is with great sadness that I have to let you know that despite the efforts of the doctors in Dakar Do Do died on Saturday evening at the age of 4.  Unfortunately he received the medical help too late to save his life.

May he sleep peacefully.

Kathleen xx



I have been travelling to the Gambia for 13 years and have made a lot of friends out there, some of whom are English and many of the local people.  

Today I received a text message from Dawn Tate an English woman who lives and works in the Gambia.  Dawn sponsors a little boy who is only 4 years old.  His name is Modou Njie - she calls him Do Do!  Dawn has just paid for his school fees, his uniform and his pencils, books etc.,

Dawn told me that Do Do's mum came to her on Saturday and told her that he was sick and had been ill for several days but that she had not been able to take him to see a doctor as she had no money.

Dawn took him to the local clinic where she was told that he had meningitis.  She arranged for him to have antibiotics given to him but he has not responded to the treatment and has lapsed into unconsciousness.

He needed to be tranported to Dakar to a hospital several hours drive from Serekunda for any chance of survival.  The cost for transport and treatment - £250.00.

Dawn managed to raise some of the money herself and asked me if I could help raise any of the remainder.

Following a conversation with both Sheena Robson and Holly Brett we decided to send the funds Dawn needed to help Do Do by Western Union.

As I write this he is en-route to Dakar.  He remains unconscious and is very, very poorly.

You may be asking why I am telling you this? 

Your participation in our competitions allows us to give donations to Charities that need support.  So far we have given in excess of £2000 to Marie Curie Foundation and Cancer Research UK.

It is therefore right to let you all know what we have done with some of the funds today.

Thousands of children die every year in The Gambia from Malaria and Meningitis and all because their parents cannot afford to pay for a visit to a doctor for treatment - which could in some cases cost as little as £1.00 for a course of antibiotics, much cheaper than in the UK.

Do Do may not survive - we pray that he will, but at least with your help we have given him a fighting chance.

I will keep you posted as to his progress.

If anyone is interested in fundraising of any description which could assist in the building of a clinic to support local people out in the Gambia please get in touch.  There is already land set aside and an infrastructure worked out with Medicine Sans Frontier to run it free of charge.

Anyone wishing to comment or suggest anything please complete form below.

Kathleen McGee             05.12.2007   21:37