As part of activities leading up to the launch of Project Oscar, Oscar Anderson MBE and his family arriving in Nigeria, visited the Cerebral Palsy (CP) Center in Lagos, Nigeria, on December 2, 2024. The delegates from the Wellbeing Foundation Africa (WBFA), led by H.E. Toyin Saraki, founder of WBFA, was joined by the Reckitt Global and Nigerian teams, including Patty O’Hayer and Cassandra Ozubogh.
Upon arrival, Mrs. Nonye Nwaeke, the founder of the CP Center, shared the inspiring story behind the creation of the center, which was born out of her personal journey to motherhood. Nonye adopted Chizimuzondu (Zimuzo) at six days old. Despite experiencing great joy, Nonye noticed that Zimuzo was not meeting developmental milestones. After a misdiagnosis and dismissive medical advice, Zimuzo was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at five months.
Despite being told by the doctor and the adoption ministry that she could not care for a child with CP, Nonye’s determination led her to extensively research the condition and ultimately return to bring Zimuzo home. She began searching for a facility that could care for children with CP while she managed her business and other responsibilities. After several setbacks, including the closure of daycare centers, Nonye decided to establish the CP Center in 2010, providing specialized care for children with disabilities, including CP.
During the visit, Mrs. Nwaeke gave the WBFA and Reckitt teams a tour of the center, showcasing the care provided to the children. H.E. Toyin Saraki commended Nonye for her bold and proactive initiative.
In her gratitude, Mrs. Nwaeke expressed her appreciation for the visit and highlighted the significance of Project Oscar in preventing the development of cerebral palsy due to untreated neonatal jaundice. She also acknowledged the generous donation of hygiene products from Reckitt and a N200,000 contribution towards purchasing anti-seizure medications for the children at the CP Center.