Hi,

Thank you for visiting this page and reading this post, this will be a long read, but i will really really appreciate if you read through it all.

This post is about a former colleague and friend of mine, Tessy.  Tessy and I were colleagues at my first job. At the time, we weren't quite close perhaps due to our different personalities. Tessy is reserved while i can be quite the opposite. Over the years, most of my then colleagues, have gone beyond colleagues to friends, infact we have become some sort of family unit. A family unit to which Tessy belongs. Yes, Tessy is reserved, but she is very smart, strong, has a good sense of humour, and a lover of food, especially Amala like me.

Both our last pregnancies were about the same time, we used to compare notes on baby bump, weight gain, work-life balance etc. We used to jokingly refer to one another as inlaws because our babies are of opposite sex. Months after childbirth we resumed discussing weight loss plans that won't stop us eating Amala. From time to time we chat and catch up either on bbm or when we see.

Not to bore you, i realized one day that i hadn't seen or heard from Tessy in a while, and i was told the sad news that she was diagnosed of breast cancer and traveled to receive treatment in U.S. I was shocked beyond words, i remember crying as i drove home that day. I worried, cried and prayed for her recovery, but i was too scared to even talk to, or send her a message. It took another friend's intervention before Tessy and I got talking again. Tessy told me, she didn't say a word about it to me because she knew i couldn't handle it. And yes she was right, i was unlike Tough cookie Tessy. She is one of the strongest persons i know, her resilience is unbelievable. She was strong, she had hope, and to the glory of God she fought and defeated cancer. She was declared cancer free late last year and resumed work in December 2015 or sometime thereabout.

I remember vividly how i drove excitedly to her office on her first day back at work, the office had a kind of welcome do for her. Everyone was happy, pictures were taken etc. Life was back to normal, Tessy and i continued our irregular chats and talks, we planned to have an Amala date, and thereafter resume the weight loss journey when she was ready.  Office was the easy and lazy route for me, but, I kept planning to pay her a visit at home, but i didn't because of the crazy Lekki- Ajah traffic.

So there i was, still postponing my promise to visit, and our Amala date, when i got the shocking news that she had to return to the U.S because of cancer. The cancer was back, or got worse, whatever it is i don't even want to understand it. All i know is Tessy is battling cancer and needs money for treatment. If Tessy had her way, not a soul will know about her battles, but as it is, she needs help, huge help for that matter. She needs about $250,000 to cover surgery and associated treatment.

Friends and family have tried to support, but there is only so much we can do, without crowd funding. A gofundme account has been set up for her: https://www.gofundme.com/2wjg42as .
Direct payments can be made to her zenith bank account in Nigeria: 2020255462- Theresa Amadi-Obi.
This is a call to help, whatever you can do, will go a long way, no amount too little. This is not just an appeal for funds, but we need to reach a very large audience, don't stop at donating, help share Tessy's story.

To be honest, drafting this post made me cry, i had to pause on it for couple of days. I decided to share Tessy's story, hoping to reach a large crowd, and also because people are understandably wary about what or who they don't know. People have asked me if, and how i know Tessy. Tessy's story is as real as can be, to be honest, it is as close to home as can be for me and most of my then colleagues. I don't know anything about Tessy that ideally should put her at risk. But then i am not sure cancer is targeted at specific people. She didn't see this coming, and that is just the reality of life, sometime life just throws us curveballs. When that happens, it is always good to have support of friends and family. Please let's help Tessy as she deals with this curveball.

I pray that the Almighty heal Tessy and rid her permanently of cancer or any other ailment, and i pray for everyone reading this, may you be free of illness, and worries. Amen.

P. S:  To donate or share Tessy's appeal, kindly visit  https://www.gofundme.com/2wjg42as 

Thank you
Asmau Eniola Yusuf (Neeolla)