A 41-year-old woman, Blessing Itseuma, has appealed to Nigerians for help to raise N15million for a kidney transplant.
She has been on dialysis, which costs N200,000 weekly, since she suffered Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) in November 2017.
Speaking with The Nation on her sick bed, she said she had spent all she had on dialysis.
“I fell ill in November 2017. I was diagnosed with kidney failure. Since then, I’ve been on dialysis. I can no longer cope with the financial implication because I go on dialysis three times a week. I appeal to Nigerians to assist me. I’m dying; they should rescue me. They should help me. The doctor said the only solution to the problem is kidney transplant. What I am suffering from is chronic kidney failure. They said it is still reversible,” she said.
Her sister, Priscilla, said it had not been easy taking care of her.
“We earlier thought it was just a minor case until the reality dawned on us. We sold the land we had. We sold other properties and the ones she had while she was still working, but to no avail. Some good Nigerians, our friends and well-wishers, even our relations tried their best to help us financially.
“My appeal to Nigerians is that they should come to my sister’s aid financially because she has been undergoing dialysis and the dialysis is not the main cure or what she needs. What she really needs is the kidney transplant. The dialysis costs almost N200,000 weekly. Now, she has been admitted because she’s not stable. She can’t walk and her condition is worsening,” Priscilla said.
One of the doctors, Olalekan Olayiwola, said Mrs Itseuma must be on regular dialysis, and also take some medications daily and weekly.
“The transplant will give her better quality of life and longer life expectancy, as compared to dialysis. This is why we advised her to go for the transplant. But pending the time she will go for the transplant, she needs to be on regular dialysis.
“She may need up to N15 million for the transplant because she needs to be diagnosed before the transplant and she will need some drugs,” he said.
The transplant, he said, could be done in Nigeria, India or the United States.
Donations can be sent to Blessing Itseuma’s account Zenith Bank 2007715691.
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