Lola Ya Bonobo

Category: Uncategorized | Date: Sep 11 2008 | By: lolayabonobo

I spoke to Sarah at Facing the World this morning. They are really wonderful. Anyway this is the update:

Amazone arrived in Kinshasa yesterday morning. Claudine picked her up from the port where she arrived off the boat. Claudine said Amazone’s  tumour has doubled in the 11 days since she last saw her.

She has an appointment at the Kinshasa hospital tommorrow morning at 8am. They are taking a tissue biopsy and then doing a CT scan.

If it looks like she has a good chance to live, Facing the World will take her on, fly her to the UK, fix her tumour and generally give her the miracle we’ve been hoping for. But if it looks like she’ll die, then its no use really yanking her from home and putting her through a painful operation.

so we’ll see tommorrow.

keep you all in the loop.

2 responses so far

Category: Uncategorized | Date: Sep 08 2008 | By: lolayabonobo

Just to keep you all informed, Amazone is on her way to Kinshasa. Facing the World has asked for her to have a scan and biopsy to see if they can help her. I called the Executive Coordinator - Sarah Driver -Jowitt because I was so anxious and excited…. and woke her up at midnight.

Mental note to all those making pleading phone calls from across the Atlantic - CHECK THE TIME ZONES! Hopefully she won’t hate me when I call her tommorrow…

On a happy note, Kisantu gave birth! She was so pregnant when we were at Lola last month I thought she was going to pop. I was hoping and watching her every day to see if the baby would come but she held out for a whole other month!

Anyway, here she is, about to pop, and then of course her sweet new baby!

They are both healthy, and the birth went well. It’s a little boy!

2 responses so far

Category: Uncategorized | Date: Sep 05 2008 | By: lolayabonobo

Hi everyone,

after emailing everyone you suggested, an organisation called facing the world came back with this response:

Dear Ms Woods,

Thank you for passing on the details of this very deserving case.

In order to help with a diagnosis (needed to see if she can come to the UK
under our programme) we will need to have some history:

When was the tumor first noticed.
What has been the progress (describe as well as possible)
Is it painful
What does it feel like - is it soft and squigy, is it hard, is it lumpy?

We will almost definitely need a scan and a biopsy. (But I have sent her
photos to the surgeons)

Facing the World will be able to pay for these but we will need to
investigate the medical facilities locally.

Kind regards,
Sarah

Sarah Driver-Jowitt
Executive Co-ordinator: Facing the World

I’ve emailed Claudine with these questions and hopefully she gets back to me soon. will let you know what happens!! thank you so much everyone for your help!!

3 responses so far

Category: Uncategorized | Date: Sep 03 2008 | By: lolayabonobo

Thank you all so much for your suggestions. I will email these organisations one by one, once I try to find out more information from Claudine.

I emailed a doctor at Duke University and this is what he said…

Vanessa,
This is an incredible case of what appears to be a large tumor…..I  am
just not sure what but may be it is a Burkitt’s lymphoma.  There is no way
fro me to diagnose by picture…..we have people in Tanzania from Duke but
I do not know of anyone in the Congo and I feel impotent to give you any
suggestions.
My colleague John Bartlett here at Duke just came back from Tanzania and he
a director of Duke’s Global Health so he might be able to provide
better insight and you could contact him.   Just not sure what kind of
medical care is available in Congo.
I wish I could be of more help but just don’t know what is available.
John P.

I emailed John Bartlett and he said,

Vanessa, how quickly has this tumor developed?  If it has been very fast (ie days to weeks) then Burkitt’s lymphoma is a good possibility.  If it has been over months, then I would guess that she has nasopharyngeal carcinoma.  A biopsy is needed to differentiate between them.  Based on my travels in East Africa, I think that medical care in Nairobi, Eldoret or Kampala would give her the best chance for care.  Centers in these cities do offer chemotherapy for Burkitt’s, which has a reasonable chance for cure.  It is complicated by the fact that she is from DRC and may have a hard time accessing care in these facilities as a non-citizen.  Sorry not to have more hopeful news, John

**

They were both very fast to respond, which I’m grateful for. So I’ll email Claudine now and try and find out more information to send to the NGOs.

7 responses so far

Category: Uncategorized | Date: Sep 02 2008 | By: lolayabonobo

Just received this post from Claudine:

‘I have had my heart broken by a little seven year old girl called Amazone. Her parents came to me to ask my help. I attach the photos for you to see. How can anyone remain unmoved by her suffering. I did not succeed. I paid for the passage on the only boat that left for Kinshasa, but the Commander refused to let her on board, calling her a ‘freak show’. I stormed on board and asked if he was an imbecile - she has a tumour, it’s not contagious.

So finally today she left for Kinshasa, where she visited 3 years ago. Her father told me they needed to give her 4 injections, but he could only afford 2. He told me the swelling went down a lot (can you imagine?) I wanted to help more, but who would help me? A doctor? An ambassador? A hope chain?

A number of people I’ve approached told me I had better things to do, but how awful human suffering is to watch. I am ashamed to look myself in the mirror. These poor people, who lack a few bills in their hands.’

So I know this is hopeless, and asking for a miracle, but does anyone know of a program, or an NGO, or someone who could help? Even to diagnose it. I’ve written to Duke Hospital, but it’s difficult to diagnose something like this from a photo.

I hear sometimes of miracle cases, of children brought to the US to be treated for a horrible disease - does anyone know how this happens?

9 responses so far

Category: Uncategorized | Date: Aug 27 2008 | By: lolayabonobo

Hi girls,

thought you might be interested in the BH post, in case any of you are followers…

 http://bonobohandshake.blogspot.com/2008/08/my-blog-has-lost-its-balls.html

2 responses so far

Category: Uncategorized | Date: Aug 20 2008 | By: lolayabonobo

I had a chat to someone from Tigress productions who is making a docco called Ape School, about orphaned apes and how they learn to be themselves when they graduate to an adult social group.

What came to mind about the bonobos is the paddling pool! There are two big lakes in the sanctuary and the bonobos are constantly splashing in them when it’s hot. Most apes are afraid of water because the weight of their hair would sink them if they actually tried to swim, but not bonobos. I’ve seen bonobos go in up to their necks - as long as they can still stand. I wonder if they are born with this love of splashing around or whether they learn it in the nursery.

Anyway, here are a few snaps from the last pool party I attended. It was really hot. First Kataco was drinking out of the pool, then everyone came over and started splashing each other. they were like a bunch of kids in a sprinkler.

3 responses so far

Category: Uncategorized | Date: Aug 15 2008 | By: lolayabonobo

I accepted an invitation from WWF-France who were organising a conference at the Senate in Paris. The symposium was intended as an opportunity to come together and review judicial protection and international agreements which guarantee justice, damage compensation and the restoration of habitats in times of conflict. Indeed, war has serious consequences on wildlife and the environment. Both have too often been the forgotten victims of 20th century conflicts. International conventions do attempt to limit the environmental impact of wars, but they seem so insufficient and so difficult to apply! We are at the dawn of a new era, one in which the link between armed conflict and the environment is affected by the increasing rarity of natural resources. The deterioration of natural habitats and the decreased access to natural resources, potential agricultural land and, more importantly, to water are environmental causes of armed conflicts in the world today, which can only worsen with climate change. (For example, the present-day situation in Darfur is considered the first conflict due to climate change). We must find solutions in terms of international rights. What is at stake is not “saving” the planet, but conserving acceptable living conditions for humans.

I had been chosen for my efforts in collaborating with the Congolese Armed Forces - I am an honorary member of their « Environmental Unit » - during the 15 years of war in the DRC. But also for our collaboration last year in response to a sad situation in the east of the country, in North Kivu (Virunga National Park) and in South Kivu (Kahuzi Biega National Park), with the fast disappearance of the Mountain Gorillas and the last remaining from our precious and endemic Eastern Lowland Gorillas. Thanks to a long standing friendship with Mr. Swing , whom I knew to be committed to nature and conservation, I was hoping that he might send a patrol into the area. However, as I also very well knew, this was not the responsibility of the United Nations Mission in the DRC (MONUC).

My experience therefore confirmed the topic raised at the conference: tentative solutions are possible in situations of conflict BUT they rely on the initiative of individuals. International agreements have been in existence for over 50 years  but rare are those who comply. The Environmental Unit of the Congolese Armed Forces is not taken seriously, neither internally within the Army nor by the conservation NGOs.  Without Mr Swing’s personal involvement it is unlikely that the patrols would have been organised as quickly as they were…

Bearing in mind that many conflicts of the 21st century might be linked to the environment, it is my hope that the ideas of those who organised this conference, such as French Senator Marie-Christine Blandin and WWF-France, will disseminate and eventually challenge world leaders to take them seriously and perhaps set up, one day, a UN for the Environment.

3 responses so far

Category: Uncategorized | Date: Aug 11 2008 | By: lolayabonobo

The other day I saw the most interesting thing. Manono, the second dominant male, and Kikwit, a subordinate, have never been friends. While they were sitting near each other, Manono did a big display at Kikwit and bit him.

Kikwit screamed, but didn’t defend himself. Then he ran down to the water, still screaming, and when he saw his own reflection, he got really upset and splashed the water. It was just the most fascinating behaviour ever. He knew it wasn’t another bonobo in the water, because we know chimps and bonobos recognise themselves in mirrors (and reflections) so it was the sight of himself that upset him. What did it mean? I would love to talk bonobo, just for one day….

3 responses so far

Category: Uncategorized | Date: Aug 07 2008 | By: lolayabonobo

Just got sent this message and pics from Olivier Fages, the Commandant of Air France to Claudine:

‘ We had such a wonderful time at Lola that with stars in my eyes, I announced what a wonderful time we had to the passangers on our flight! We had such a wonderful time with you, your knowledge and passion you shared with us in those marvellous hours were unforgettable.’

Thanks Oliver! Claudine is a charming and wonderful hostess! But I wonder if little Sake wasn’t the real star of your visit?

9 responses so far