‘Ndele ohai filidja’ girl Hulda Gideon battling leukaemia, needs bone marrow transplant

The little girl who once captured Namibians’ hearts with her infectious smile and viral video in 2023, saying “Ndele ohai filidja” (“I’m freezing”) is now in hospital, fighting for her life.

Eight-year-old Hulda Gideon, known as Haifilidja (I’m freezing), is battling acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, a type of blood cancer.

Her mother, Ngozi Onyeneke (31), says her family is raising funds for a bone marrow transplant as her daughter’s condition has relapsed after years of treatment.

“She was first diagnosed at the age of two years and ten months in March 2020. Before that, doctors thought it was just an infection, but it turned out to be cancer,” Onyeneke says.

After undergoing chemotherapy for over two years, Hulda went into remission in mid-2022. However, in March this year, doctors confirmed that the cancer had returned – a devastating blow for the family.

“She’s a bubbly little girl who still finds the strength to dance even while sick. But it has been a long and painful journey, emotionally and financially,” Onyeneke says.

FINANCIAL STRUGGLE

Onyeneke, who works as a police officer and lives in shared accommodation in Windhoek, says their living conditions are unsafe for Hulda, whose immune system is severely compromised.

“We share facilities with others, which isn’t ideal for her because she’s prone to infections,” she explains.

She adds that financially, the past eight years have been difficult. “I am in debt from medical costs, transport and food.”

Onyeneke told The Namibian that although she is a single mother, she co-parents with her daughter’s father.

The family has now resorted to selling food and offering laundry services to raise money for Hulda’s treatment, including the bone marrow transplant she urgently needs.

“Every bit of support counts. We are humbly asking the public to help us save her life,” she says.

Hulda is receiving chemotherapy at the Namibia Oncology Centre, where she has been treated since her first diagnosis.

Friends and community members have rallied behind the family, using social media to spread the message under the hashtag #DoItForHaifilidja, inspired by the cheerful child who once made the nation laugh with her words.

Donations can be made directly to the family or through ongoing community initiatives.

The Cancer Association of Namibia (CAN) has confirmed that Hulda is registered under its Chica Fund financial assistance programme.

CAN chief executive Rolf Hansen says Hulda and her mother have been supported since 2020 and are currently staying at Chica House, the association’s interim home for child cancer patients and their families.

“The patient is registered with the cancer association on our patient financial assistance programme through the Chica Fund.

She has received assistance since 2020 and again this year,” Hansen says.

“They are Psemas medical aid holders, and the challenge we face when Namibian patients need to go for treatment in South Africa is that many service providers there require prepayment.

Some South African hospitals and doctors are no longer comfortable with Psemas due to past payment delays,” he adds.

Hansen says families are encouraged to obtain full quotations and have their medical aid negotiate with service providers directly.

“The cancer association assists with flights, accommodation and transport through our cross-border collaboration with the Childhood Cancer Foundation of South Africa. However, medical treatment costs fall outside our mandate,” he says.

Namibia currently does not have its own bone marrow donor registry. Hansen says the CAN works closely with the South African Bone Marrow Registry (SABMR) at Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town to facilitate donor matches.

“We’ve opened a Namibian chapter with SABMR and are supporting the bone marrow and stem cell donor drive,” he adds.

“We ask Namibians, especially those between the ages of 16 and 40, to register as donors.

Finding a match for African patients is often difficult because there are very few donors of African descent on the global registries,” Hansen says.

In an age of information overload, Sunrise is The Namibian’s morning briefing, delivered at 6h00 from Monday to Friday. It offers a curated rundown of the most important stories from the past 24 hours – occasionally with a light, witty touch. It’s an essential way to stay informed. Subscribe and join our newsletter community.