Homeland star’s joy at baby for grieving mum

The 18-year-old from Sierra Leone, who lost her first baby due to a lack of medical supplies, now has a healthy little girl because of a vaccine programme he supports.

British star Harewood, 53, travelled to the West African country with Unicef this year to promote the wider use of vaccines.

While he was there, he met Adamsay whose six-month-old baby daughter died in 2018.

She had fallen ill with a fever but when she was rushed to her nearest community health centre, close to her village in Tonkolili district, no vaccines were available.

The distraught mother, just 17 at the time, was told a lack of fridges meant the life-saving medication couldn’t be kept cold enough to use.

Unable to reach her nearest hospital on the other side of a river, Adamsay’s daughter died of suspected measles shortly after.

Determined

meet with me, despite the fact that she was over eight months’ pregnant. She wanted to meet with me to tell me about her story and how important it was that young mothers and babies get the vaccinations they need to keep them safe. “She was determined to get the message across to the young mothers in

her village.

Knowing that when Unicef and local communities come together around the world, they can provide safe and accessible treatment for a whole new generation of mothers and their children is the good news story I needed to start my week.

“Ultimately, both Adamsay and Monica are now safe and healthy because of the improved access to vaccinations, how amazing is that.”

David, who was born in

Birmingham, played in goal for an England team in Unicef’s 2018 Soccer Aid match which raised more than £5million for the charity.

Donating £17 to Unicef could provide a cold carrier to keep vital vaccinations at the right temperature.

Help Unicef win the war on disease by donating at unicef.org. uk/donate/vaccinate.