Distraught mother seeks N2m for ailing baby’s surgery

Tribune Online
Distraught mother seeks N2m for ailing baby’s surgery

Mrs Shade Bilqees Adeyemo sounded desperate, urgent and worried. Her hysteria is understandable because the life of her 11-month-old son is on the line. Her son, Abdullah, is in dire need of an urgent surgery to save his life, the cost of which she cannot afford.

Abdullah has been diagnosed with a congenital heart disease, which the doctors at the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital (OAUTH) said was “ventricular septal defect with abnormalities of the tricuspid valve.”

Mrs. Adeyemo, while recalling the genesis of the ordeal, said she noticed earlier in the year that her son would always cry and would not eat. When his cries persisted, and she noticed that he was having difficulty in breathing, she had to take him to a hospital in their neighbourhood in Ibadan. From there, her journey to seek remedy began.

“We were referred to the University College Hospital (UCH) when the initial X-ray and treatment didn’t offer any succour. It was at the UCH that they told us Abdullah has a congenital heart disease,” she lamented. Efforts were made there to see if it could be handled at UCH, “but his condition was not improving. So they referred us to the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital (OAUTH), Ile Ife, where the doctors said he would be operated upon.”

A letter signed by Dr. Uvie Onakpoya and Dr. John A.O. Okeniyi (Consultant Cardiovascular & Thoracic Surgeon and Consultant Paediatric Cardiologist respectively), addressed to Mr. and Mrs Adeyemo, said his surgery would cost N2million. According to the letter, “You have been assessed to have a form of congenital heart disease (Ventricular septal defect with abnormalities of the Tricuspid valve) which requires open-heart surgery to correct. This surgery has been scheduled for the third week of September 2019. You are expected to be hospitalized by Wednesday, the 11th of September, 2019 into the Children’s Ward 1B, Paediatrics Department, Phase 4.

“Kindly note that the total estimated cost of the procedure is N2,000,000 = which covers the entire hospitalization, medications, investigations and surgery but excludes the cost of the blood transfusion services which you are expected to make on your own.

“You are expected to pay N1,000,000= for consumables into the IFE CARDIAC SURGERY, ZENITH BANK PLC BRANCH, Account Number 1014534749. The balance of N1,000,000= is payable to the hospital through Treasury Single Account (TSA) using the REMITA Platform through any Bank nationwide under the account name is CARDIOTHORACIC REVOLVING FUND, OAUTHC, Ile-Ife. The latest date of complete payment is Friday the 16th of August, 2019. Once the payment has been made, please bring along the original and hard copies of the tellers/ invoices.”

She said “The symptoms include not feeding well, not being able to sit for long minutes even at 11 months old, not to talk of crawl and stand. He cries a lot as if he is in pain, always grunting because of respiratory distress, he is emaciated (very skinny).

“I want all kind-hearted Nigerians to please help me financially so that my baby will do the open heart surgery and be free from cardiac arrest. I’m appealing to all kind-hearted Nigerians to help me save my baby’s life by assisting me financially.”

For support, kindly send your contribution to: Account Name: Rahmon Shade Bilqees; Account number: 2132864958; Bank: UBA.

Distraught mother seeks N2m for ailing baby’s surgery
Tribune Online