Daniel's Story

My name is Daniel. My father was a farmer but due to the high rate of poverty in my community he left for the southern part of Ghana to be specific Obuasi where he was accepted into the mining company to work as a gold miner. He worked there for a number of years but fell sick and came back home because the money he earned there was not enough to take care of his medical bills in Obuasi. My uncle was jobless and could not also afford his medical care and as a result we lost him after some few days of his stay in the house. It was one of the saddest moments of my life because I was only seven (7) years and I was wondering who would take care of me.

Due to some family disputes after my father’s death, my mother abandoned us in the hands of my jobless uncle and grandmother who was weak and could do nothing. Since my uncle could not afford for me to go to school he asked me to be a shepherd to our cattle, goat and sheep, which I had no option than to be. Sometimes when I opened these animals into the field to feed, I got bitten by scorpions and other poisonous animals and as well as getting beaten by the rain leading to me falling sick. I can remember when I fell sick after being beaten by the rain and my uncle could not afford to send me to the hospital in order to seek medical attention. I was in pain because of malaria for a number of days and I got better by God’s grace. All these deprived me of my right to education according to Ghana’s constitution.  

It had been hectic for me until in November 2004, when my uncle came into contact with HCC. In 2005, I was put in school and I started learning English Language because by then I could not speak English or write my own name. In 2009, my mother too came back from Obuasi and fell sick too and lost her life after a short illness in the Sandema District Hospital. I was 14 years of age when I lost her too. I was now a grief child but Bra Joe and the entire HCC family consoled me and made me feel that all hope is not lost and that I still have a great life ahead of me and a family too. After that inevitable event, I decided that I would become a medical doctor one day and help solve the health problems of society.  

During my primary and junior high schooling periods I was the senior prefect and represented my school for a number of quiz competitions and won all. Again during my high school periods I was among a group of students awarded for best performance in all eight subjects during the school’s annual speech and prize-giving day ceremony. In 2016, I wrote my final exams and passed very well in all eight subjects. In 2017, I applied to the University of Health and Allied Sciences, Ho, Volta region, Ghana to study Physician Assistantship (Medical) and I was qualified after the interview and entrance exams. There were about a thousand applicants but only sixty-five were given admission which I was among the 65 given the admission to study the PA program. 

In conclusion, I am currently a PA student going to my second year and I am hopeful of continuing to study medicine after the PA in order to become a full doctor and the surgeon I have always dreamt of becoming.