By Chioma Obinna

Executive Director and host of Conversation with NK- Molina healthcare in the United States, Leilani Ifeoma Ogujiofor, is championing a cause that will bring smile to the faces of many women.

The media personality was recently in the country to shoot her upcoming film, Overcoming Fibroids”, a film which she wants to use to bring greater awareness of treatment options for women suffering from the debilitating symptoms of fibroid.

She’s producing the film which she explained will be in two parts, in partnership with a film maker, Ike Nnabue. The two parts, a film on her experience with Fibroids and a documentary which will focus on the plights of over 70 percent of African women suffering fibroids.

Speaking at a recent press parley, Ifeoma said she wants to use her own experience to empower women and talk to the government and corporate world in Nigeria about the adverse effects of Fibroids.

“We are very pleased to be partnering with The Fibroids Project to aid its mission to educate and empower women to make informed decisions about treating their fibroids,” said Ifeoma, the convener of Overcoming Fibroid.

She added that “Many women may not be aware that there are other, less invasive treatment options that do not involve damaging or removing the uterus, as is the case with hysterectomy,” she continued. Hysterectomy is the most common surgical procedure for fibroids, but many women would prefer to avoid the long recovery times and body-changing effect of such surgery.

“I have gone through the process and I want other women to know about it through my story in relation to the condition that is plaguing a lot of women today in this part of the world.

“The main goal of this project overcoming fibroids is to educate women about what exactly are fibroids and what exactly does it mean when a doctors says you have fibroids. In return educate men who are their partners and family members not to make women feel that they cannot give birth to a healthy baby boy or to feel like go and sit in corner you are bleeding for half a month. We really want to bring to light because people don’t talk about it because it deals with women’s health. When it deals with women’s health for some reasons it is something you keep under the table in your house.

“As an advocacy movie, in Nigeria and also in Africa I want to focus on developing countries because 70 percent of fibroids are from African origin. I want to focus on Africa. When I was diagnosed of having Fibroids at a very tender age, and barely 30 years old and was not married. I was about to get married but I did not know what it means. In Igbo tradition, we have completed the first steps of the marriage.

“I was bleeding and went to the hospital. There I was told I have fibroids. I told them I did not know what that means. I had five fibroids. One of them was very big and it was taken up the space of the baby. Subsequently, I lost my child three months into the pregnancy. I had treatment and surgery and today, I have my womb. I am on medicinal treatment right now. Everything was so smooth for me but thousands of other women are not lucky. I don’t want anybody else to have to go through any hardship.”

Ifeoma said, the advocacy film comes in two parts. There is a film and a documentary. According to her, the film will be released in February 2017. It will be tied to Valentine day as a season of love for people to love others.