On 31st October 2009, the Education Post carried a story on 17-year-old Daifwa Lungu, who has been battling with cancer of the bone for the past one year leaving her life hanging in the balance.

After the publication of the article, a number of well wishers, including Zambians living abroad, were moved and offered to render any assistance to help the young girl be able to lead a normal life despite the painful truth that she would lose part or her whole leg.

Fortunately for Daifwa, a well wisher Bridgett Exteen a Zambian who has been living in the United States of America for the past 24 years happened to come across the story through the Post on-line edition.

“The first thing that came to my mind was sadness, the girl in the picture looked extremely ill and urgently needed treatment for her cancer. I cannot even imagine what she is going through, the unbearable pain she must be in, all I knew was I could not turn a blind eye on the girl,” said Bridgett.

“My immediate reaction was to assist her get medical treatment that she urgently needed. It was an easy decision to make because she is God’s child and deserves a chance at life. It does not mean if a person is not related to you one cannot help them. I believe it is our moral obligation as human beings to reach out and help a person in need especially in sickness,” Bridgett said.

She urged other people to show compassion and care towards Daifwa and her family for the situation they were going through.

“We as people ought to be more caring and have compassion for this girl. We need to put ourselves in the family’s situation. I personally, after reading the article, I could not imagine turning my back on Daifwa’s medical situation, God expects each one of us to do the right thing. Our purpose on this earth is giving others a chance, hope and making tomorrow better for them,” she said.

Asked if she has helped other people other than Daifwa, Bridgett said she has been helping people in her community back in America.

“Yes back home Daifwa is the first person I have helped. However, here in the USA, I do help the food banks in our local community.

My mother, Rhoda Exteen who is now in heaven taught us as children to always reach out and help people whether they were relations or not. She always shared whatever little she had with people,” said Bridgett.

Meanwhile, Daifwa, who was last week admitted to the University Teaching Hospital (UTH) said she was grateful for the help she had received from Bridgett.

“I do not even know how to thank her (Bridgett) if it was not for her, I do not know where I would be; maybe I would have died. I am really grateful to Bridgett for the help she has given me, I am also grateful to God because I believe he uses people to help us his children,” she said. 17-year-old Daifwa added that she cannot stop thanking Bridgett as she believes she has made a big difference in her life.


Daifwa who had in the past refused to undergo an operation to have her leg amputated said she had now realised that there was no other way to stop her condition which was getting worse but amputation.

“I have finally accepted to have the operation as I have realised my condition is not getting better but worse so I felt it was the best thing for me to do and my aunt also explained to me the consequences of what would happen if I did not have my leg amputated,” said Daifwa.

At the time of the interview, Daifwa had already undergone tests to determine the extent of the cancer and the operation has been set for next Friday.

And Daifwa’s aunty Florence Gondwe has complained over the hostile treatment being given to them by hospital staff.

“When we got to UTH, the doctor we found at the casualty did all tests on Dai and after seeing the X-ray, he told us she had a tumour. We were then referred to the cancer clinic but we were then sent back as we did not have a blue card,” she explained.

Florence explained that after they had been sent back to casualty, they were asked to go to another ward.

“The nurse at the casualty told us to go to ward G12, the nurse in charge sent us back and told us to go to C22 where Dai had been admitted earlier this year but when we got there the nurse chased us and told us they were no beds and they need her old file but surprisingly we left the file and it has suddenly gone missing,” she said.

An empathetic nurse then took Daifwa and her aunt to C22 ward where a nurse told Florence they were working under instructions not to admit her to that ward.

“The nurse took us back to C22 and requested for a bed for us. A nurse then took me to the side and told me that they (nurses) had been instructed by the doctor not to give Dai a bed saying she had refused to have her leg amputated the first time she was admitted.