Story
A message from Funmilayo's mother;
Death is a word I have often heard and read about and was almost meaningless to me until that fateful day on Saturday 10 of March 2012 when it knocked on my door, entered uninvited and took away my beloved and cherished daughter, Funmilayo. Oh, what a day and what a life to take!
Funmi, though only 6yr old, was caring, full of life and looking forward to a bright and promising future. Being the fashion conscious girl she was, she could not understand why she was not allowed to perm her hair, wear make–up or paint her nails. Whenever she asked “why”?, Funmi was told “only grownups and mums are allowed”. Subsequently whenever Funmi wanders off to the cosmetics section of a shop, her comments were always the same “I can’t wait to grow up and be a mum”. Sadly she never lived to fulfil this dream.
If you are on this “just giving” web page, that is because you care and if Funmi could ask you for just ONE thing, she would ask that you remember and celebrate her life by making a donation to help others living with the same condition that robbed her of her dream of growing up and being a mother.
Funmi could not ask you so we ask you on her behalf. Please donate whatever you can afford and no amount is too small or big. With your kindness, generosity and God’s love, let us remember and celebrate a mother that never was.
A message from Funmilayo's Sister (Tara Ayeni) ;
Sunday 10 of March will mark a year since my younger sister died. Her name is Funmilayo Ayeni. She was 6 years old, and very nearly 7. On March 10 2012 I experienced a broken heart. I was opened up to the true pain of grief. And for the first time I found myself consumed by the expression ‘to have loved and lost’. I had lost my sister. She wasn’t coming back. But I couldn’t understand why. How do you begin to understand the death of a child?
Of a girl like Funmi who, in retrospect, was extraordinary in so many ways. She could sweeten up a sour situation with her smile. She was funny without trying, and kind without knowing, and gentle to emotions but strong enough to stand up for herself. She was very clever but didn’t so much like doing work unless she was being bribed with chocolates or sweets. She was innocently mischievous. And sure, at times she could be a drama queen when she thought she might get away with it.
She was nothing like me; she liked dressing up and taking pictures. She liked painting her nails and doing her hair. She liked to laugh, sing and play. Her favorite questions were ‘why?‘ ‘why not’ and when she was feeling a little confident it was ‘so?’ .
I’m sitting here trying so hard to give justice to her memory. Trying to capture an echo of her humanity. But these words are dull in comparison to the vibrancy her life projected. So I can do little more than tell you that she was simply good.
Funmi’s very sudden death came as a result of the Sickle Cell disease. Both her and my younger brother (now 14) were born with it. I never really understood the disease too well. I only really knew that my siblings had to take daily medication and that occasionally they were subject to avoidable illness’ or a ‘Painful Crisis’ that would hospitalize them for a couple of days. My sister had always been worse than my brother for unknown reason.
Before Funmi’s death, my mum had been told by doctors about a new method of treatment that could potentially ‘cure’ my sister. I received a call from my mum (myself being in my first year at university) one morning asking whether I would mind being a bone marrow donor to my brother and sister as I was the only healthy one. Of course my immediate answer was ‘yes, lets do it’. We had the appointments booked and I was to head back home to London where I would be given more information and begin the necessary tests.
A couple of days before I was due to go up to London, I received a worrying call asking me to get on the next train to London. I did so but did not even fathom the true reason for my early summoning. As of the time I reached London my sister had died after being ill for a mere day. I hadn’t seen my sister in 2012 except for skype video calls that seem all too short now.
Although it is not certain that I was a perfect bone marrow match or that the operation would have saved her life. It saddens me that I didn’t even get the chance to try. Or that she didn’t know that I would have done it for her. Or that I would have given her my heart if it were needed.
So in memory of her life and all the good that she was I have set up a donation page where all donations are given straight to The Sickle Cell Society. They are a charity set up to help finance the essential welfare, research and educational projects involved in the understanding and treatment of this disease. There is nothing I or anyone else can do to bring my sister back. But I take comfort in the idea that by raising awareness of the Sickle Cell Disease several young lives can and will be saved. Donate as little or as much as you want but please, please, please if you are reading this, share it amongst your friends and family if not to just raise awareness.
Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.
Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.
So please dig deep and donate now.