Daily Independent (Lagos)
Stella Odueme and Grace Omoshaba
9 March 2009
She wants to live and realise her ambition. But in her present state, that may not be unless some well-meaning Nigerians come to her aid. This is the predicament of Chioma Okafor.
The life of the 27-year-old girl is now hanging in the balance due to kidney failure. To survive her predicament, she needs to undergo kidney transplant. Already, one of her siblings is willing to donate a kidney to restore the life of this once vivacious girl, but the problem now is, who will foot the bill of N3.5m for the operation?
The ailing Chioma is now laying helplessly at Havana Specialist Hospital, Surulere, Lagos, praying fervently that kind-hearted Nigerians, corporate organisations and well as government institutions lend a hand to make her live again.
Chioma, a graduate of Economics of the University of Port Harcourt, has been down with chronic renal failure (chronic kidney disease) since September 2008. Before her health complications, she was already in the employment of a company.
According to her family, trouble started for Chioma in Port Harcourt when Prime Medical Consults, Port-Harcourt, on September10, 2008 referred her to Havana Specialist, Surulere, on account of a three-month history of weakness, fatigability, nausea anorexia, body pains and occasional hiccups.
It was gathered that diagnosis of chronic kidney disease was made in the referring hospital following ultrasound findings of bilaterally shrunken kidneys and laboratory evidence of renal impairi-neril. Series of laboratory investigations and a repeat ultrasound scan done also confirmed the diagnosis.
According the Medical Director of Havana Specialist Hospital, Dr. E. Okeke, so far, Chioma has been transfused with a total of five units of blood and has also had added subeut erythropoietin and inferon infusions.
He said that a total of five sessions of dialysis had been carried out on her with the last carried out on January 31, 2009. At the moment, she is being worked up for possible renal transplant in India estimated to cost N3.5m ($23,000).
"Patient has been 100mg tds, tab lisinopril 2.5mg daily, tab norvasc 5mg daily, tab inderal 40mg tds, 1v laxis 80mg daily. So far patient has been transfused with a total of five donor blood. Patient also had subcut erythropoietin and inferno infusions," Okeke said in a letter.
And so Chioma's two kidneys are inflicted with a problem and every effort by Havana Specialist Hospital to resuscitate one of the kidneys to perform optimally has not yet yielded encouraging result. As a result, an immediate kidney transplant has been recommended for Chioma, which is expected to be carried out in an Indian hospital. But as already stated, the family cannot sponsor this bill. Her family is therefore soliciting for help to enable her undergo the transplant since a kidney is already being donated by her sibling.
In a request for assistance letter written by Chioma's father, Ben-aiah Okafor, he outlined the cost analysis, saying the total cost of the treatment is in the region of $23,000.00 or about N3.5 m.
Available information indicated that apart from the Indian hospital charges of about $20,000, there are other additional flight charges for the sick, the donor and an accompanying nurse, together with their upkeep funds for about six weeks in India. Okafor said that Chioma has been under the medical care of Havana Specialist Hospital since October 2008 and only recently escaped death by whiskers.
Okafor on behalf of the family noted that huge amount of money had already been spent on Chioma's condition since September 2008 when her condition started to grow worse and so the family is now lacking the financial capability to sponsor the transplant.
He is therefore making passionate appeals to individuals, corporate organisations, non-governmental and governmental organisations to help his daughter live again.
"I am therefore appealing to your good conscience and consideration to assist me in absorbing some portions of this unbearable and heavy burden to enable my daughter live longer again. Chioma is a graduate of Economics from the University of Port Harcourt in 2005 and completed her NYSC in 2007, picked up a job in Port Harcourt with an engineering company before this recent awful discovery of her health status. Please help us " he pleaded, adding: "Please, please, if my appeal touches your heart, you may communicate with Havana Specialist Hospital, Surulere on 08023138104, 08027272727 or 014705300 and speak directly with the Medical Director, 08023304747, Dr. G.C.E. Okeke, and he would inform you how to forward your donation for Chioma's treatment. May the good Lord bless you for whatever consideration and/or assistance you may bring for my daughter," he said.
Chronic kidney disease is when one suffers from gradual and usually permanent loss of kidney function over time. This happens gradually over time, usually months to years. Chronic kidney disease is divided into five stages of increasing severity. Stage five of chronic kidney failure is also referred to as end-stage renal disease, wherein there is total or near-total loss of kidney function and patients need dialysis or transplantation to stay alive. This is the stage Chioma is now. The term "renal" refers to the kidney, so another name for kidney failure is "renal failure." Mild kidney disease is often called renal insufficiency.
Remember that the main function of the kidneys is to remove waste products and excess water from the blood. The kidneys process about 200 liters of blood every day and produce about two liters of urine. The waste products are generated from normal metabolic processes, including the breakdown of active tissues, ingested foods and other substances.
This is therefore a clarion call to all Nigerians to safe a soul, a vibrant soul who could be a world changer.
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