My body seems more normal than before - Fatu S. Taylor
After being diagnosed with diabetes, Fatu received the necessary care with the help of her family. Now, she feels 'normal again' and raises awareness in her community, encouraging others with diabetes to join the NCD programme that helped her in the most difficult times.
Despite having to travel a long distance for her initial diabetes screening, Fatu S. Taylor now has access to diabetes care closer to her home.
Her uncle, who unfortunately passed away during the severe Ebola epidemic that claimed almost 5,000 Liberian lives in 2014-2015, encouraged her to get tested after noticing her symptoms.
He advised her to go to the John F. Kennedy Hospital, the country's largest referral hospital located in the capital city of Monrovia, which was nearly 400 km away from her home. Fatu followed his advice and was diagnosed with diabetes at the hospital.
Since then, she has been receiving proper care.
‘They immediately put me on treatment. Since I joined the programme, I thank God that the treatment is going well for me’, she says.
Her family has played a significant role in her diabetes management and overall well-being.
‘I had my sister who used to be a hospital nurse. She used to monitor me, send me medicine, and do my tests, but then she died… then my other sister encouraged me to be part of the programme. Since I did, she never left me, she catered to me. She called me daily to know how I was doing with the medication.’
However, before accessing the programme, Fatu admits she was ‘feeling miserable’.
‘Once I got to know I am a diabetes patient, I thought I would not live for long. I was feeling bad, some friends would laugh at me or counsel me, but I am better in my life now.’
Her peers started to wonder about her struggles, asking her whether something happened. ‘Now when anybody looks at me and I tell them I’m sick, they cannot believe it. And my body seems more normal than before!'
Today, she is involved in raising awareness about diabetes and related non-communicable conditions to help more people prevent getting sick or suffering complications.
‘I’ve been bringing people here [at the clinic] or talking to them about joining the programme. It has been helping me, so I tell them: I want you to join so we can support each other and see improvements in your life, too.’
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Since 2009, WDF has supported several projects in Liberia aiming for improved diabetes and related NCD prevention and care: WDF09-0483, WDF15-1273, and WDF17-1488. These projects have progressively led to the launch of the first nationwide NCD response, WDF20-1743, completed in 2024.
