“Climbing a tree and having a fall which would later land my son here in Ghana from Sierra Leone is one trip I will never forget in my life.” – Mama Khadija Fofana
Amidu Fofana was just 15 years old when he first arrived in Ghana, his right arm swollen and in a sling, wracked with unbearable pain. His mother, Khadija, could hardly recognize the once-energetic boy who had loved running through the streets of their Sierra Leonean community.
“He was always on the move, always on the go, running around, playing football, and making music with his friends. Music, especially rap, was his dream. Wherever there was music, you would find Amidu, adding his own rhythm to it,” Khadija recalls with a bittersweet smile. He had dreams of being a rapper—of one day spitting lyrics over beats, sharing his story with the world.
But one day, everything changed.
It started as just a simple fall. Amidu had tried climbing a tree to pick some fruit, something he had done countless times before. But this time, he slipped and landed awkwardly, injuring his arm. At first, Khadija thought little of it. “Boys fall, they get up,” she had thought, and she treated the injury with some local ointment provided by a herbalist in their community, expecting him to bounce back like he always did.
But as days passed, the swelling in his arm grew larger, angrier. Three weeks went by with no improvement. Amidu’s arm continued to swell, and his pain worsened.
When Khadija finally took him to the hospital, the reality hit harder than any fall could have. “Your son’s arm is cancerous,” the doctor said. Khadija felt her knees buckle under her as the words settled in the room. Cancer? The word echoed in her head as she struggled to understand. Her world spun. “You need to take him out of Sierra Leone immediately. He needs urgent treatment in Ghana at Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital,” the doctor urged.
“I am just a peasant farmer,” Khadija whispered, her voice cracking. How could she possibly afford the trip to Ghana? The thought of plane tickets, hospital bills, and lodging in a foreign country where she knew no one made her feel utterly powerless. Her family had been torn apart by the Ebola crisis, and now this.
But in the darkest moments, a glimmer of hope appeared. Through generous donations and crowdfunding for the community, Amidu and Khadija were flown to Ghana, where they arrived at Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital. Lifeline for Childhood Cancer Ghana (LCCG) was there waiting. They were provided with essentials and immediate support for Amidu’s tests and treatments. The diagnosis: osteosarcoma—a rare and aggressive form of bone cancer.
The treatment was grueling. Sixteen rounds of chemotherapy left Amidu drained, physically and emotionally. But despite all of this, he never stopped dreaming of music. On the toughest days, when the pain was almost unbearable, he would close his eyes and imagine himself rapping on a stage, pouring his heart out through lyrics. Music became his refuge, a reminder of who he was before the cancer—before everything changed.
As the swelling in his arm reduced, the doctors delivered news that made Khadija’s heart race with fear: “The cancer has spread. We need to amputate his arm.”
Amidu’s dream of becoming a rapper felt like it was slipping away. His arm—the one he used to gesture while rapping, the one that gave life to his rhythms—would be gone. Khadija, stricken with fear, refused the surgery at first. “Is there no other way?” she pleaded. But the doctors were firm. It was either his arm, or his life.
While waiting for the surgery, Amidu met Franklin—a childhood cancer survivor who had undergone a leg amputation after battling osteosarcoma. Franklin was celebrating his 18th birthday at the hospital, cancer-free for three years, with his prosthetic leg proudly on display. He sat down with Amidu and spoke about life after amputation—the struggles, the fears, but also the freedom he found after accepting his new reality.
“You can still be you,”* Franklin told him. *“Cancer doesn’t take away your dreams.”
Amidu’s spirits lifted. He joined the LCCG’s bead-making classes for children undergoing cancer treatment. Even with one arm, Amidu created intricate bead keyrings and purses, his creativity flowing as if nothing had changed. He started to believe that maybe, just maybe, he could still pursue his rap career, even with one arm. He’d rap with his words, his heart, his story—nothing could take that from him.
Today, Amidu is back home in Sierra Leone, a cancer survivor. He’s back in school and still dreams of becoming a rapper, but now his music has a new beat—a story of survival, resilience, and hope.
“I am thankful to LCCG for everything. They brought us out of darkness and gave us hope when we thought there was none. Because of them, my son still dreams.”
Amidu’s journey may have altered his path, but it didn’t change his destination. His dream still lives on—stronger, bolder, and more determined than ever.
