The Nation Newspaper

Tag: heart

  • Re: The unpredictable heart of man

    Re: The unpredictable heart of man

    WHEN siblings commit heinous crimes against each other like cruelly depriving the other of what he worked for, i.e. his labour, an inheritance or some form of happiness or the other without caring whose ox is gored, one wonders if they came out from the same womb. I tell you if you have experienced such, then I would be correct to say the evil prevalent in this world is not new to you, nothing takes you by surprise anymore and, in fact, you don’t expect much from people. What baffles me most is when for some reason they have a change of heart some day and want to make restitution, do they think it’s easy to accept them back into our lives after causing so much pain, anguish, distress….I could go on and on. They simply forget such memories never fade and an enemy’s always seen as one. Anyway, let’s deal with Madam Ogechi’s case. She sacrificed so much for her only sibling to make a head way in life, worked hard and placed the world at the feet of her husband whom she entrusted with her investments/properties. Life was full of fun and fulfillment as her dreams of having a huge account in the bank her late father worked as a security guard came true, faster and greater than she ever imagined until her roller coaster ride threw her into a nine-year jail term in America. She just returned only to find out that her properties had been sold and her “reliable and trustworthy” husband had since gotten married to her younger sister. Both of them are living large like the celebrities we read about while she is squatting with a friend in a small apartment, stripped of all the comfort she had ever known; too stupefied to know what to do. A few readers sent in their suggestions.

    Too many questions begging for answers. Let God take control. He knows the whole truth. He also knows the end from the beginning.

    Jude Okoh

    Hmmm, this life! What a painful experience. The more we live, the more we learn. There is nothing too hard for God to do. The church should stand by Sister Ogechi and pray for her until God gives her victory.

    Debbie Idu-Ukpaka

    Let her start afresh. God will judge her sister and her husband.

    Mercy Orga

    Truly a pitiful experience but what was the offense that got her a 9 year jail term in the U.S.? Sometimes, consequences of our actions can account for the loss of all we have acquired in life. Could her husband have gone through 9 years of horror and shame due to her jail sentence? However, the moral code of taking only what belongs to one still stands. He behaved like a leech, always satisfied at sucking at her success from the very beginning. He obviously was also filled with treacherous plans to have gone on to marry her sister after her mother’s death. Why not while her mother was alive? Obviously, her mother will not live to see that happen. Her sister also displayed a heart of ingratitude and lust for ready-made success. What a pity. If she had the strength and courage, she should seek the help of some credible human rights organizations who will enlighten her on the way to go, in a bid to get her property back and address her sister’s greed.

    Debola Semako Mobee

    Dear Madam Ogechi,

    You have to be very strong at a time like this otherwise I’m afraid you may never be able to get over this wickedness and move on. I would advise you not to seek redress in court for now as you are not financially, emotionally, psychologically and spiritually capable. Your sister and husband sure know your jail term is over and have long prepared to fight dirty. Don’t forget the heart of man is desperately wicked, who can know it all? You need to get a grip on your emotions fast so you can see opportunities that lie ahead of you. You repeatedly said your beautiful fair skin attracted people to you and fetched you whatever you wanted. I don’t think it was your pretty face/skin but the grace of God which you were not aware of. This is because there are prettier women who can’t get such favours. I suggest you lean totally on God for now. Pray like you have never prayed before; sink your life into His presence and before long the grace you once enjoyed will return in leaps and bounds. For now, don’t lean too much on anyone who wants to assist you in getting justice. It may end up throwing you into more pain. Stop beating yourself about your jail term. It’s over and it belongs to the past. Hold on, be strong, allow God to heal your wounds, be patient with Him as I’m sure He’ll want to process you but when He’s done you’ll be amazed at how beautiful your life would turn out. Your sister and husband are sure to end up in total ignominy and confusion and that’s if one of them doesn’t kill the other soon. As long as an adversely affected party involves God, any relationship based on an evil and treacherous foundation never lasts and ends in doom. Take good care!

  • Ramon Azeez vows to win Oliseh’s heart

    Ramon Azeez vows to win Oliseh’s heart

    Super Eagles and UD Almeria midfielder, Ramon Azeez says the most important thing for him is to play regularly for his club so as to get the attention of new Eagles coach Sunday Oliseh.

    Azeez featured prominently for UD Almeria last season in the La Liga but got relegated with the club following an all round bad spell but the 22-year-old reckons that consistent display in the first team may earn him a recall to the national team.

    “The most important thing right now is to play in your team and do everything with your team and I think with that, one can get the attention of the coach and get invited but the most important thing is to do very well in the team,” he told footballlive.ng.

    Not sure if this bold plan of Azeez would work since Sunday Oliseh has reiterated that any player not featuring in the first divisions should not expect a call up.

    Azeez was part of Nigeria’s squad to last year’s summer World Cup in Brazil where Nigeria managed to get to the round of 16 before been knocked out by France. He made his debut for Nigeria in the game against Iran where it finished 0-0.

  • Nigeria: My heart bleeds

    As I woke up suddenly around midnight a couple of days ago, my mind painfully ran through the prevailing socio-economic and political circumstances and predicaments in Nigeria. I began to imagine what they portend for the future of this country. Once upon a time, there was a country that was the envy of all African nations; one that commanded respect internationally and among the comity of nations.

    My heart bleeds profusely when, I recall a country that was once peaceful, but now we ‘hear’ the drums of war being beaten by those who consider themselves greater or more Nigerian than all of us. Thank God that things have changed now with the president’s congratulatory call on the president-elect.

    War is a terrible thing! You only know the beginning but not the end. I witnessed the last Nigerian civil war and those who directly suffered the impacts of the war would never wish for another traumatic experience of a civil war.

    My heart bleeds when I notice that in the name of politics, those in authority have turned Nigeria upside down. For example, it is only in Nigeria that leaders would mathematically and selfishly consider nine as a greater numerical number than 19. Even the Nigerian Senate did not spare itself the ignominy of setting aside its own rule of procedure by confirming a candidate with serious political blemishes for a ministerial appointment.

    My heart bleeds when I observe the Judiciary, regarded as the hope of the common man, being stripped of the respect and the dignity that rightfully and constitutionally belong to it. The law courts have in recent time become the targets of bomb attacks and explosions. The most worrisome problem of the country as of now is the increasing threat to lives and property that has enveloped every Nigerian except the privileged.

    Today, every Nigerian is gripped with the fear of insecurity. Kidnappers operate with impunity and boldly cart away victims to unknown locations where they demand and negotiate for plumb ransom and sometimes with police connivance. Armed robbery incidents have escalated as armed robbers are now more daring with more sophisticated arms. The Boko Haram menace and the way we have handled it has become a national disgrace.

    There is no better evidence of the ineptitude, visionless and the failure of government than the growing influence and menace of Boko Haram, which is now belatedly being checked. Had the Federal Government risen with vigour, might and speed which is now belatedly being checked immediately after the invasion of the Chibok Community and in hot pursuit of the insurgents, the parents and the whole nation could have been saved the trauma and disgrace resulting from the incident. Rather, the Federal government waited helplessly and in disbelief for three weeks preferring to rely on its advisers’ assertion that the abduction was the handwork of the opposition parties. This ineptitude is no doubt a clear case of leadership deficiency. The girls have been away for close to 10 months as their parents continue to suffer untold agony and anxiety. My heart bleeds when I realize that the President’s re-election bid has become more important to him than the rescue of the Chibok girls. In a civilized country, the President would have, while the case of the Chibok girls lingers, covered his face in shame rather than ask the electorate for re-election.

    My heart bleeds when I see growing armies of unemployed graduates rooming the streets or resigning themselves to doing menial jobs, like commercial bicycle operators, drivers of motor tri-cycles or even scavenging on waste dumps in order to eke out a living for themselves. Government is neither creating nor encouraging the creation of jobs. In 2009, when I presented my inaugural lecture at the University of Lagos, on the state of our manufacturing sector, I sounded an ominous warning as I watched the Nigerian manufacturing sector crumbling. Year after year, the government rolled out budgets that failed to demonstrate serious commitment to the revival of the manufacturing sector. This sector is undoubtedly the engine of growth and a strong pillar for sustainable development in view of its potentials for wealth creation, employment generation and poverty alleviation.

    I warned against over-depending on oil and the danger that this mono-product malady can have on our economy. Our oil revenue at that time was at its peak and it seemed that our economy had never had it so good. I spoke about the prevailing infrastructural decay, non-availability of steady power supply that have crippled many businesses and bad roads that have become death traps. There was the problem of putting extra burden on manufacturers through double taxation and other spurious levies and charges. As at today, government has not taken any bold initiative to address these anomalies with a view to wooing back manufacturing companies like Dunlop, Michelin and a host of other potential investors that have left our shores. Rather, the government continues to indulge and deceive itself with the political propaganda of economic growth and transformation.

    My heart bleeds when I see the level of moral decadence hitherto unheard of that has now completely enveloped the country. The urge and surge for money and material wealth by Nigerians at all cost and by whatever means is bewildering. The passivity and helplessness of the law enforcement agents has further emboldened the kidnappers. Prostitution and other immoral dealings are becoming fashionable practices among our female youths. Female students’ hostels have become brothels in recent time where promiscuous girls engage young boys to hang around the entrances to their hostels with their pictures to solicit patronage for them as male visitors approach the hostels.

    My heart bleeds as I noticed the helplessness of the school authorities and parents in checking the malaise. Students cut corners to pass examination. Honestly of purpose and action has vamoosed from our society. Few people are honest. Corruption has permeated all strata of government. Pastors and men in cassock sacrilegiously take bribes or gifts from politicians for prayers in order to win elections. Even the royal fathers are not exempted as politicians roll in bales of dollars into the palaces of the monarchs in an attempt to seek political favours. I grew up knowing that it is morally wrong and unacceptable to wish a fellow human being dead. Today, the death wish for political opponents is not hidden but is advertised on pages of newspaper.

    More painfully is the recent outburst of the First Lady Patience Jonathan on General Buhari, a former military head of state and commander in chief of the armed forces. For Patience Jonathan to have made such a brazen, abusive and derogatory comment on General Buhari while Jonathan and PDP chieftains look on and shake their heads approvingly is, to me, the height of moral and politically decadence never experienced in the history of political electioneering.

    Four years ago, we took the money and the rice and thereby sold our mandate. It has been four years of excruciating experience with unbearable hardship and hopelessness, rising level of poverty and increasing joblessness among our youths. Can Nigerians endure and survive another four years under the prevailing situations?

    Fellow Nigerians, whatever becomes of this country now and in the next four years is in our hands. The survival and the social and economic wellbeing of this country are in our hands. It is in our hands to make it a greater, more prosperous, safe and secure country to live in. God save Nigeria.

     

    • Banjoko wrote in from Lagos.
  • Hole in the heart prince returns with ‘Gift of Life’

    Hole in the heart prince returns with ‘Gift of Life’

    Just back from an all-expense paid trip to the USA, courtesy the ‘Gift of Life’ organisation to correct his heart condition, Taiwo Abiodun captures the joyful reunion of Prince Tomiwa Adewale Abegunde with his school mates, teachers; and of course the joy of his parents, especially his father, the Olunaun of Unaun, Owo, Ondo State, who was with him all the way.

    The whole school vibrated as shouts of joy engulfed the air. Without doubt, it was a day of joy and reunion for students and teachers of Fourah Bay International School, Owo, and Ondo State as they welcomed back one of their students Prince Tomiwa Adewale Abegunde, who had just returned from a trip to Memphis, United States of America, where he successfully underwent treatment for his hole in the heart ailment. They quickly convened an assembly, where they all thanked God for his safe return and took turns to shake hands with him. Emotions also flowed, as Adware’s mum and teachers wept for joy. And why not! Literally speaking, his can be described as the story of a boy just back from the threshold of the dead. Sporting a Gift of Life ‘T’ shirt, the man at the centre of the whole activities fought back tears. You could tell that he was overwhelmed in the euphoria and could go on and on with the jubilation; but suddenly he was reminded he had to go home and rest. Doctors specifically impressed it on his father to make sure he takes a long rest, before commencing regular activities.

    Adware hadn’t been to the school for months. The story of his illness was first published in Sunday Nation in October, 2013. Then, his parents had cried out for public assistance, upon discovering that their little boy had a hole in the heart and needed to go through an expensive heart surgery.

    Fortunately for them, help came in the shape of Gift of Life, a non governmental organisation based in Memphis, USA, after Tunji Onibode, a Lagos-based businessman and philanthropist contacted them on the boy’s behalf. The organisation thus facilitated his trip to the USA and also paid for his successful treatment at Memphis Hospital.

     

    Genesis of the problem

    Adewale’s father, His Royal Highness, Olanrewaju Abegunde, the Olunaun of Unaun, Owo said “Adewale started complaining of his ill health four years ago. He started with cough, then pains in his chest; and then he could no longer attend school regularly. He became weaker and weaker. Eventually, he went through series of tests in the hospital and was diagnosed with a hole in the heart condition. We were told he needed a surgery, which could only be done in India and America. We therefore had no choice but to cry out for help, having already exhausted our resources.”

    Continuing, His Royal Highness said “Help however came, following the publication of his story in The Nation newspaper, when Mr. Tunde Olabode linked us with Gift of Life NGO in America.  Before then, we received several text messages, with people offering all kinds of advice. Some said to take him to church, while some others suggested trado-medical options. We managed to get the visa and air ticket and landed in the United States on January 17, 2015. At the airport, the organisation arranged to meet us. They also footed the hotel bill, hospital bill, and took care of feeding and several other things.

     

    I wept on the way to theatre

    The monarch recalls that the boy was subjected to many tests. The doctors also said his health was fast deteriorating. “I was told that the boy would have slumped and die one day, if we hadn’t come in at the time. I also wept when he was being led to the theatre for the surgery, which they said would last three hours. The surgery was performed by Dr. Kumar of Le Bonhuer of Children Hospital, Memphis. I was consoled but reminded that anything could happen, and to take heart and continue to pray for his survival. The President, Vice President and other Gift of Life members also took turns to console me, but at a stage, we all broke down and wept. We thus hung in suspense, hoping for the best.

    “After three hours, they came out to tell me that the operation was successful. To say the least, we were all relieved. I went in to see him sleeping. He woke up looking very weak, but still recognised me. He was discharged the following day and immediately started going about freely. In fact he was given only paracetamol, and that is what he has been using, nothing more! He was told to come back for medical check-up after 15 years.”

     

    How Nigerian doctors destroyed Adewale’s eyes

    The family also seized the opportunity of the trip to seek treatment for Adewale’s eye, since he also suffers from eye defect. Here, the Monarch received a big shock. “The doctors said his eyes had been destroyed by the doctor who operated on them in Nigeria in a bid to remove cataract from them. They said the doctor who operated on his eyes did a bad job, as one of them had gone bad and the other was almost going blind. They also wanted to know if I sued the doctor for the damage done.”

    The monarch revealed that his son’s eyes were operated upon at a government hospital in Lagos Island. He however thanked God for taking them to America; else the second eye could also have gone blind.

    Asked to compare the medical practice in Nigerian and the USA, the Olunaun of Unaun said there are no bases for comparison. “In fact the gap is just too wide; we are not doing well here at all. In a ward where my son was operated,  there were about 15 to 20 echo machines; but here in Nigeria, one needs to go to Oshogbo or very few places for  an echo machine.”

     

    Fun after the surgery

    Although the royal father went to the USA on a solemn mission to save his son’s life, he said he nevertheless had fun, courtesy of the organisation that sponsored the treatment. As at the last count, he said the organisation has done this operation for 56 children; yet this has not stopped them from making sure these medical tourists get a rich dose of the American fun.

    “After the surgery, the Foundation started taking us round. They took us to the museum, hotels, zoological gardens, the Mississippi River and other attractive sites; all at their own expenses. For three weeks, we were lodged in a mini palace, with full security, and a housemaid, who attended to us and took care of us.”

     

    Royal reception

    Contrary to general opinion, he said Americans appreciate our culture and dressing, something he said added to his joy. “They took pictures with me; I was in the midst of over 100 white men who treated me very well and attended to me with honour .They made me feel at home. The  members  organisation, who are also people of high repute Bill Pickens (head of Gift Of Life Mid-South, Mephis Tenneessee ), Tracy Rusoom Chism, Stephanie Baker Lawson, Dick Cockrell, Joe Fracchia,  Bernado Zapatas, William Schrader, Lynn Lanier, George Chism, Lisa Wilcox and Sussan Scott were all wonderful.”

     

    Home at last

    The traditional ruler returned home on February 18, and gladly declared that the three weeks he spent in the United States was like six months, as he was beginning to miss home and long to be back amongst his people. He recalled how some members of the FedEx family and his son Adewale wore long faces, as they headed for the airport, en-route Nigeria. “Even I could not hide my feelings at the airport. We were all going to miss each other.”

     

    Advice to Nigerian government

    The Monarch advised the Federal and State governments to borrow a leaf from the western world and equip our hospitals. But for the endemic corruption in the country, he cannot fathom why Nigeria’s health system cannot rise above such deplorable level.

    Adewale’s mother, Olori Olanike expressed her gratitude to The Nation Newspaper for the publication of the story that eventually led to saving her son’s life. She said “I am saying a big thank you to you all, especially The Nation newspaper and Mr. Tunde Onibode, who assisted in all these. Adewale’s health has improved; he can now walk, sleep and breathe very well, and no longer complain of pains! Since he came back, he has also been eating very well.”

     

    At school

    Adewale’s parents expressed their appreciation to his school’s proprietor, Mr. Mensah James, whom they said stopped collecting school fees, as their son’s condition aggravated. “The boy is brilliant and it pained the School’s Proprietor that he was falling sick, so he stopped collecting fees from us.”

    On his part, the young prince, now bespectacled with his recommended glasses meant to correct his eye condition, regaled his colleagues with stories of their trip. In between, he also told The Nation of how beautiful and interesting America is; the big buildings and offices, and warm welcome by the organisation, which he described as “so loving!”

    Mr. Sulaiman Babatunde, Adewale’s tutor described the JSS1 student as very brilliant. “We all had been praying for him, until we heard that an organisation in the US sent for him and took care of him. He is a lover of everybody and we are all happy to have him back and healthy.”

    Some of the students, including Babatunde Adekiya, Mumuni Ade and Victor Olorunsusi also spoke glowingly about the young prince, even as they flocked around him, taking pictures and sharing in his moment of joy.

    Mensah James, the school proprietor on his part said “I am very, very happy. The boy is a special boy. When the parents came to tell us that he was being taken to America, we were glad and we all prayed for him. He is clean, brilliant and certainly a future leader.”

  • A heart for the needy

    The prayer of a dumb 16-year-old was probably the most emotional moment. The visiting Senator Joy Emordi could not hold backtears, always dabbing at her eyes a white handkerchief.

    The boy kept pointing to the heavens, his moving, but no one could hear what he was saying.

    Emordi was visiting the Red Cross Motherless Babies’ Home in Onitsha, Anambra State’s commecial town. Children of the Home swarmed around her crying for help.

    It turned out that Joseph, the dumb boy, was praying for peace and unity in the land.

    For over ten minutes, everybody at the orphanage stood motionless trying to come to terms with what was happening.

    The Chief Nursing Officer of the Home, Bridget Ajero, told The Nation that Joseph Was the prayer warrior of the home, teaching the other inmates how to do it.

    The Senator who, before now, represented Anambra North Senatorial zone at the Upper legislative house had gone to the Home to celebrate the yuletide with the children.

    She went with a lot of gifts including Christmas cakes, many bags of rice, rolls of toilet tissue, bags of salt, cartons of food drink, cartons of soaps and many cartons of noodles, among others.

    At the Home, it was discovered that other children from the Umunna Motherless Babies Home numbering over 16 were transferred to the orphanage by the government, following the closure of that home.

    It was alleged that the home was  used to traffic children by some public officers, while the matron of the home, who was a Deputy Director in the state Ministry of Women Affairs, was arrested by security operatives in 2013.

    The Onitsha orphanage home has 13 staff working in the place and 45 motherless children, while the place looks as clean as most of the homes of other people.

    According to the chief nursing officer, Anambra State government has been taking care of the place while the home receives more babies more than any other in the state because of the way the place is handled by those in charge.

    The Nation gathered that the home does not partake in adoption of children which had been rampant in most of the motherless babies homes in the state leading to the closure of some of them.

    Emordi did not only celebrate the festive period with the motherless babies, she also did same with the widows in Onitsha at the Central school Odoakpu same day.

    The widows numbering over 500 danced, prayed for long life and more prosperity and sang praises of Emordi in the vicinity.

    For 72-year-old Onyejeagbo Okeke from Anambra East Local Government Area, God would not allow Emordi to suffer any ailment in her life time.

    She said, “your pocket will never dry for remembering the widows who have nobody to do for them not only in festive periods but all the time in this zone despite not being in politics again”

    “Your own children and children of those you have helped in life will always remember you in your own old age and anybody who sees you as an enemy will fall into a bottomless pit.

    “You will never encounter any form of sickness and no form of danger will come your way, these are our prayers for you and they shall come to pass” the woman cried out.

    Also, Mrs Margaret Nwapudezili from Oyi Local Government area who is 50 years old, told The Nation that Emodi has been an inspiration for all of the widows in the seven local government areas that make up Anambra North zone.

    According to her, “what baffles us is that she continues doing it despite not being in any elective position while those who are representing us in any capacity will not talk to you.”

    Speaking with The Nation, Senator Emordi said that she had not been doing it to attract praises from anybody but that her concern is for the less privileged and the needy in the society to be happy.

    “I see participation in politics as a means of helping the less privileged, I have never been in politics to amass wealth for myself, family and community alone.”

    “This started when I was nobody in the society and when I rose, the passion increased, I cry when I see these people while some of us will be moving on convoy, blowing siren and allow such people to suffer, it is wrong”

    “It is my own little way of helping the needy and I will continue doing it by the grace of God with or without any position in the country.”

    “What I am doing is to encourage our people especially the rich to always remember this caliber of people, it gives me joy and happiness seeing these people happy,” Emodi said.

    When she met with the widows at the legion of widows, gave them a bag of rice each, cartons of tomatoes which were accompanied with cash for their meat and other items for their households.

    “There is no other way to make the widows happy and encourage them other than this way.”

    “Some of them lost their husbands years ago, while some do not have anybody to help them in their different homes and there is no way we can fold our hands and allow them to suffer unnecessarily” She said.

     

  • Ten-month-old needs N2.5m for heart surgery

    Ten-month-old needs N2.5m for heart surgery

    She was born like every other normal baby and her parents were full of expectations that every stage of her growth would be without any problem.

    Few months after, the unexpected happened. She is afflicted with is a life-threatening ailment.

    Baby Gracious Chiamaka Onwusoro was diagnosed with heart problem, a whole in the heart which she has been fighting to stay alive. She needs N2.5 million to undergo heart surgery if she must live.

    Her condition has brought emotional pain and psychological trauma to her parents as the possibility of staying alive depends, to a large extent, on the benevolence of well-meaning Nigerians.

    Physicians say the baby needs an urgent surgical operation to save her from dying at infancy.

    She is the daughter of Mr. And Mrs Emmanuel Onwusoro. Mr Onwusoro is a reporter on the employ of the Nigeria Television Authority (NTA), Channel 5, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State. He had spent virtually all his earnings on the baby since

    the problem began few months after she was born on February 21 this year.

    Onwusoro and his wife have been in and out of many hospitals in search of solution to Gracious’ health problem.

    The baby is currently admitted at the Intensive Care Unit of the University College Hospital, Oritamefa Ibadan Oyo State.

    According to a clinical report signed by one Dr. Tosin Majekodunmi of Tristate Cardiovascular Institute to where she was referred for comprehensive medical examination, Baby Gracious is suffering from Antrio-Ventricular Septal defect, a heart-related disease.

    Though gracious, the second child of her parents, who was born through Caesarean section did not give any sign of complication at birth, her condition later turned worse.

    Symptoms of excessive sweating, inability to breathe and serious weight loss were the initial manifestation of her illness. Her parents had to seek medical help where the damning revelation about her health status was revealed.

    To confirm how worse the situation has been, Gracious was 4.2 kg at six months old, which forced the parents to go for echocardiogram treatment at Biket Hospital Osogbo Osun State.

    Narrating his ordeal about his child’s heart ailment to reporters, Mr Onwusoro said he initially declined to call for assistance from public-spirited Nigerians but had no option than to do so because all his lean resources as he had expended much already through huge medical bills from various hospitals they had taken the child to.

    This, according to him, has reduced the family’s financial capacity. They still believe that the baby would survive despite the present prevails they are going through.

    Mr Onwusoro further said the N2.5 million for the surgical operation is too difficult for him to raise based on his income and what the family had already spent so far.

    He said: “I want to plead with public-spirited Nigerians to help my family to

    overcome the serious challenge. We are not only passing through trauma at present, but we are down with heavy heart because no parents would be happy to lose any of their children.

    “I have spent so much and sold some of the family’s valuables to take her this far and it will be a colossal and devastating blow for us to lose her at this stage.”

    In her report, Dr Majekodunmi said: “I have had a lengthy conversation with Mrs Onwusoro and explained the diagnosis to her in some detail and she now appreciates the complexity of Gracious’ cardiac pathology.

    “I have explained that the closure ASV and heart coarctation repair are all fairly straightforward procedures which can be done at minimal risk and with a very high probability of total success.

    “Repair of such complex atrio-ventricular septal defect has not been performed in Nigeria to date and it would be a significant undertaking to attempt full repair in a nine-month-old that is failing to thrive.

    “If we were to contemplate surgical repair in Nigeria, the estimated cost of such procedure is N2.5m.”

    Those willing to assist the Onwusoro family in raising the N2.5 million required to save the precious life of Baby Gracious Chiamaka Onwusoro should send their financial contributions to this account details: Emmanuel Onwusoro, UBA Account Number: 2004071558 or contact on 08067207073

  • Hole-in-the-heart baby needs N2.4m for urgent open heart surgery

    Just like with any other family, when the Dosunmu found out that they were going to be having a fourth child, they celebrated and awaited the arrival of their bundle of joy.

    But unfortunately, their excitement turned into fear after their little bundle of love was born over two months ago. According to his father, his excitement turned dreadful after their son was born and he was allowed to see his baby for the first time.

    Unlike their order children at birth, his new bundle of joy, Abdul Azeem, was breathing heavily and had to be on oxygen to enable him breathe and when the worried father asked the doctor in charge what was wrong with his baby, the doctor simply asked him not to worry because mucus was gathered in his new baby’s cheat and would soon clear off.

    But Adam Dosunmu was worried because something unfortunately similar had happened to the small family two years ago and it had taken them a long time to recover from it.

    Two years ago, when his second child was four years old, an old friend of his noticed that his son was breathing harder than normal and advised that he should get the child checked. After a few tests were run at the National Hospital, Abuja, it was discovered that his first son had a hole in his heart and will not survive much longer without an operation.

    The family ran around seeking for help from family members and friends and eventually, enough money was raised and his son was taken to India where he had a successful operation before returning to the country.

    So, seeing his fourth child and third son breathing as heavily as his elder brother did, although he was still very little, scared the new father; he eventually took solace in the doctors’ advice and prayed for the best.

    A few days later, medical doctors all over the country went on strike and the family was discharged but two weeks later, they had to rush the baby to the Federal Medical Centre, Gwarimpa, because he could barely breathe. Staff at the hospital told the distraught parents that not only were they on strike, but they did not have oxygen at the hospital, even though the little boy was clearly dying. Eventually, a friend directed the family to another hospital in town, Childcare and Wellness Clinic, where the baby was immediately admitted and supported with oxygen to breathe since he could not do so on his own.

    The family was asked to take the baby for a chest Xray and eventually, the result came back that little Abdul Azeem, who was barely two months old, had a big hole in his heart and needs urgent surgery to save his life.

    The doctor advised family to contact the doctor in India that did his first son’s open heart surgery and send him the result of baby Abdul Azeem, which the father did and when the hospital confirmed their fear that the baby had a huge hole in the heart and needs an urgent open heart surgery before he is three months old.

    According to Adam Dosunmu, “We were at home till a day that be became unable to breathe very well; we rushed him to the Federal Staff Hospital Gwarimpa, where they told us that he needed oxygen but they did not have. In fact, nobody attended to us and the baby was dying because he stopped breathing for a while.

    “I called one of my friends who told me to take him to Childcare and Wellness Clinic in Wuse. We took him there; they took good care of him; we spent up to a week at the hospital and I was so impressed at how they treated him.

    “When we arrived the hospital for the first day, the first bill that we were given for the first day was N54,000 because he was under oxygen. After a while, we asked how much the bill was and they told us N22,000. I was afraid of how I was going to raise the money after just paying the first bill but the Medical Director of the hospital asked us not to worry and took care of all of the bills.

    “When they finished everything, they asked us to go for Xray but when the result came out, the doctor said that she was not too satisfied with the result and directed us to Eco Scan and it was from there that they discovered that he had a hole in his heart, a very big one and there is a vein that is supposed to go towards the left, but it went to the right.

    “I was advised to send the result to the doctor who did the first one and I sent the result to the doctor at the MIOT Hospital in Chennai and the doctor sent us a reply. The doctor in India said we should try and bring the baby before he is three months; so, right now, we have very little time left.

    “The doctor gave me an estimate of the cost for treatment and we will have to as well take care of transportation, feeding and accommodation while there. Everything will cost about N2.4m. He said if we do not have the surgery in time, his breathing may stop at anytime; so, we should just try and do it immediately.”

    Diagnosis from the hospital on baby Abdul Azeem to the MIOT hospital in Chennai, India, reads: “Dosunmu was presented to this clinic for the first time on the 9th of July, 29014 with poor suck, cough and difficulty breathing. He is in respiratory distress with an SpO2 of 63% and Crepitations in both lung fields and an ejection systolic murmur. Investigations revealed a supracardia TAPVR and a large OS ASD. He is being referred to you for expert management signed by Dr Remi Alege, for Childcare and Wellness Clinics”.

    After the Xray result and all the required tests were sent to Dr. Robert Coelho, Director and Chief Paediatric Cardiac Surgeon of the MIOT Hospital Chennai, India, he sent a letter to the Visa Officer, Indian High Commission, Abuja, Nigeria and it says: “This is to certify that baby Dosunmu Abdul Azeem Akandi Adam aged 2 months, male, suffering from congenital heart disease and is accepted for open heart surgery at the MIOT Centre for children’s Cardiac Care, MIOT Hospitals, Chennai. Surgery is advised at the earliest. The duration of stay required is about 3-4 weeks”.

    Parents of Abdul Azeem Adam and Kafayat Dosunmu are asking for help from well-meaning individuals to come to their aid and help save the life of little Abdul Azeem. You can send your contributions to: Dosunmu Adam J, GTBank, account number 0024384460, and you can contact the family on 08036278261.

  • Anambra carries out first heart surgery

    Anambra State has begun a heart surgery programme at St. Joseph Specialist Hospital, Adazi Nnukwu.

    It said the surgery is being carried out by a team of 15 doctors and medical workers, led by a cardiac surgeon, Dr. Joseph Nwiloh, who is an indigene based in the United States (U.S.).

    The first surgery was reportedly carried out last Saturday.

    A statement said Nwiloh  is globally regarded as one of the best cardiac surgeons.

    The building housing the heart clinic was named after him by the former governor, Mr. Peter Obi.

    The hospital was reportedly built “as a way of celebrating worthy Anambra sons and daughters and hold them out as role models for the young.”

    Nwiloh, who helped in equipping the centre, thanked God for His mercies and Obi for his vision.

    He promised to work harder to make the centre fully functional.

    Obi, who witness the first surgery last Saturday, said he was happy at the “many fruits of the collaboration between the church and the government.”

    He said he was happier that his successor, Governor Willie Obiano, continued with the collaboration, adding that the ultimate beneficiaries are the people.

    The President General of Adazi Nnukwu, Mr. Ben Enemuo, who spoke about the operation, said the town’s people were happy at the development.

    He thanked God for using Obi to initiate the heart centre and praised his successor for the promise to build on the foundation.

    Former Commissioner for Health, Dr.  Lawrence Ikeakor, who visited the hospital to witness the surgery, said with the development, Nigerians  need not travel outside the country again for categories of heart diseases requiring surgery.”

  • Duplicate the keys to his heart

    IT was a great reunion and it started on a bright note. Friends dressed to kill with makeup that had been replenished to make them look like angels. Food and drinks and then the usual girls’ talks. Lady A set the ball rolling about her man’s escapades and how she stopped the cross-carpeting after a good fight.

    Lady B is not so lucky and she exploded: “For me, it hasn’t been that easy but I have made up my mind to pay him back with all the filthy emotional coins doled out.”Everything has actually gone upside down and her heart is hanging in the balance. “Last week, my spouse changed all the keys of the house and I was locked out.”

    Luckily, the lover girl had the keys to the boys’ quarters in her clutch bag and that is where her heart, body and soul have been finding emotional solace. Lady C’s temperament just could not contain it all and she began to think of options out of the emotional woods. “Why don’t you break the door? I think it is better to duplicate the keys and get back into your comfort zone.”

    Great ideas! Sadly, this is no longer a comfort zone and breaking in means that the emotional battlefield would get hotter. Okay, what about duplicating his emotional keys? That sounds better, but the timing obviously is wrong. How do you go about duplicating a key(s) that you cannot fathom where the originals are? Even if you do, you have to be sure that it is not a broken key. If it is lost in transit then you can go for the master key.

    The key to a man’s heart is very important in any relationship. You either have it or do not have it. There are different types of keys and only the good key is functional, useful in unlocking a closed door as well as locking up to avoid the emotional intruder. The quality of your key would determine which doors you can open, take you to the nooks and crannies of a rusty heart as well as pave the way for heart that’s been sealed up.

    Even when his emotional keys are in your custody, you must ensure that what you are holding on to is the genuine copy and not a key that cannot open any door (s).

    If you must duplicate the emotional lock, then you must start early and be prepared. This master plan would produce the key to his brain (to modify how he thinks), the key to his legs (movement) , key to his stomach and taste bud (food), key to eyes (keep him from looking around) as well as the key to the bedroom. The key to the senses are vital in every relationship. For the ears, it must be something sonorous and something pleasant. Nagging must not be an option if you want to be in control. Like the musical keys, your emotions must be exciting and attractive. For emotional fortune, you must select tunes in the major key sound which is usually cheerful unlike those in minor key sounds that are gloomy. The patterns of the pitches in major keys mirror excitement, whereas the minor keys reflect the subdued speech.

    So when you want to fall in love, look out for a fast, loud, jumpy rhythmic sound. This reflects the way an excited person behaves and you can be sure to be infected by this jolly good emotional fellow.

    The fear of the emotional keys should be the beginning of wisdom for lovebirds.  Every woman must be in charge, be a perfect alternative for any intruder who wants to take over stylishly. You would be uppermost on this man’s emotional scale of preference and it won’t be so easy to push you out through the window or backdoor. If you fail to produce the right key (s) then you become a visitor, stranger or an unwanted guest in this romantic adventure.

    Interestingly, there are times when you have all the keys and yet you just cannot cross the emotional Rubicon.  Here, stern-looking emotional guards, armed to the teeth, won’t let you cross over. If you dare put up a resistance, then you can be sure that they would throw you into the streets far away from your emotional door (wooden or steel), door hole and keys.

    The guards are there to avoid a clash with the new ‘key holder’, the one who has captured your beholder with the computerised keys. Like a robot, the heart that once chanted , ‘yours sincerely’, the heart that could not sleep because of your smile , the heart that fell for your kisses , the one that swore to abide by the love vows would shift just by the touch of the emotional remote buttons.

    But if you are dealing with a local champion, then the set of keys required would be quite different. A sophisticated set of keys won’t get you anywhere. As a matter of fact, it is going to stall the process. Here, all that is required is a kick starter and the antics required here is pulling the right wires together. But remember that this heart can pack up anytime and anywhere. It certainly won’t be a reliable heart and it would most likely disappoint when you least expect.

  • Heart for sale

    WHEN the heart aches so badly, it may just be that you need some emotional painkillers. If it persists, then you are likely to go for more painkillers. But you just have to be careful not to get to a stage where you end up with an overdose of emotional killers. There are some traumatic experiences that painkillers just cannot heal. Perhaps what you need is surgery to make the healing permanent.

    This also may not totally take care of the harm that has been done to your poor loving heart.

    Many have therefore asked overtime: who needs a heart when it can be broken to pieces? Isn’t it better to put it up for sale and make some profits before it crashes? No, it isn’t fair to sell your heart because it aches emotionally. It obviously carries out so many other essential duties that are far more important than falling in and out of love.

    The heart is a hollow muscular organ that pumps blood throughout the blood vessels to various parts of the body by repeated, rhythmic contractions. The average human heart, beating at 72 beats per minute, will beat approximately 2.5 billion times during an average 66-year lifespan, and pumps approximately 4.7-5.7 litres of blood per minute. It weighs approximately 250 to 300 grams in females and 300 to 350 grams.

    It is a part of you that you treasure and you certainly would not want to lose or allow to be in the wrong hands. However, when it comes to the emotional heart, then there are times when it may be better to do away with a leaking heart, a sagging heart or a heart that has shrunk. When you get to this stage, then you are likely to put up your heart or the other heart for sale at an emotional bazaar. Here, the heart (s) would be auctioned and you can be sure that the highest bidder is going to go home with whichever heart has been put up for sale.

    At this point, it is gone forever and you just have to let go and stop dreaming that you are ever going to get it back. Of course, the person who has staked so much to grab your heart or the heart of the person you treasure is not going to allow you to come and make claims after paying so much.

    So, the big question here is why anybody would want to let go of something they cherish or had treasured at a particular point in time.

    You get into a relationship with some expectations and when you get in there, you find that the person does not meet up to your expectations at all and that is the point where some begin to map out strategies on how to opt out of such a relationship.

    There are also other instances when the person started very well and it looks like a dream come true. However, with time, values may change and the person may not longer be as attractive as they were in the past. Different strokes, indeed. What Mr. A places so much value on may just not be appealing to Messrs. C, B and D.

    The emotional additions and subtractions may just not add up correctly and this brings tears, frustration and confusion. If suddenly you discover somewhere along the line that something fishy is going on, then you need to take a decision. It could be to forgive and forget or simply to walk away instead of ending up in an emotional ditch.

    Well, it could also be compared with “House for sale.” The images would be unpleasant for many. What is exciting about a dilapidated porch, shattered window panes, casements that are rotting and sagging, broken shutters as well as door knobs that have fallen apart. Of course, there’s nothing fanciful or interesting for anyone to behold! It would definitely be deserted and you would actually feel the empty loneliness from a distance.

    Even a blind heart can smell it all. Whoever wants to reside here would be living in the past; old designs and the state of neglect which only a few would be content to stick it. Flashback down memory lane and you could see a very deep contrast. Sweet décor, flowers and the freshness of new paint and wood polish made it once magnetic.

    People sell what they have sometimes to meet a need, support a cause, to get a better value or just out of desperation. Here, you can be sure that this heart would be at the whims and caprices of the buyer.

    If there is a jinx and there is no buyer then it may just become an abandoned building (heart). At such moments, you may just need the help of an agent (matchmaker).Here, you are at the mercy of the buyer and you should remember that this house now has a second hand value and you just may not be in control of the pricing.

    Certain factors would determine what you get and if the bargain is right; the mood of the buyer, his or her temperament, personality and disposition to emotional matters. If the mood is right, then the buyer is likely to transform the old house and it would look like a palatial edifice, a place everyone wants to be. At such moments, those who sold it off in a hurry would look back and wish they could pull back the hands of time.