The Nation Newspaper

Tag: transplant

  • Boy with kidney failure needs N13m for transplant

    While other kids head for school every morning, enthusiastic about the long day ahead, Uwais Usman, a 15-year-old boy, lies on his hospital bed, writhing in severe pain and agony, wishing he had functioning kidneys to enable him go to school.

    He was 15 on October 1, but it gripped his mother’s heart that his birthday was with severe pain and agony, and blurry hope, as she continues to source for money to pay for his kidney transplant.

    For close to five months, Uwais has been in IBB Specialist Hospital, Minna, Niger State, battling kidney failure. Although one of them failed sometime in 2016, and later picked up; both kidneys have now failed and his health is deteriorating.

    “His condition is very critical and severe,” his mother, Hajiya Halima, said on phone with a trembling voice, full of worries and uncertainties. “When he started, it was way better than this. But now he is always lying down…too much fatigue; too much weakening,” she said.

    She explained that she was informed at the Bennett Medical and Kidney Center, Abuja, where Uwais was first admitted, that the boy needs a kidney transplant to replace the malfunctioning ones.

    “According to the doctor, the transplant costs about N8.5 million if carried out in Abuja, and about N13.5 million if performed in India, which is far better,” she said.

    Asked how much she has been able to realise so far, Hajiya Halima with utmost sadness,  replied: “Four hundred thousand Naira…for all this while that we’ve been sending messages and appealing on social media. Yet, we spend nothing less than N87,000 weekly on just dialysis and injections.

    “We had to move down to Minna because we thought the Niger State Government would help. But we haven’t got a good response from them. We have pleaded and pleaded with the Ministry of Health, they keep saying there is nothing they can do. I just don’t know whether the government will help us, but it is just not working out yet,” she said.

    A couple of weeks ago, Uwais lost his right eye to this deadly ailment, after having suffered severe eye pain as a result of high blood pressure.

    “For about two weeks now,” his mother recounted, “when he looks at you, you might think he is seeing you, but he is not. His right eye is gone. And even his left eye cannot withstand light for long. Whenever light penetrates into the left eye, it enters into the right, and then he starts screaming. Most times, I tie black cloth around his face to cover his eyes. I am afraid that he might soon lose his left eye too.”

    While appealing to members of the public for help, Hajiya Halima said an account was opened for Uwais in Fidelity Bank, with the account number 6150980918 (Uways Usman A.).

  • FUNAAB student needs N12m for kidney transplant

    FUNAAB student needs N12m for kidney transplant

    A Final year student of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB) Miss Love Fericsope Ologun, 21, has been diagnosed with chronic kidney disease.

    She needs N12million to undergo a kidney transplant.

    Her mother, Mrs Funmilayo Ologun, said Love had not been very healthy since she was a child.

    She was always falling sick. However, after the age of three, she didn’t fall sick for while until she got into secondary school.

    “She has always been on and off the hospital bed, but after she was three, she became more stable. She was stable till she got into secondary school.They kept calling us, almost every month that we should come and take care of her because she has been admitted.The doctors don’t really tell me what was wrong anytime I go to the hospital.The doctors treat, talk to her and tell me to make sure she uses her drugs every day,’’ her mother said.

    Immediately after secondary school, Love secured admission into FUNNAB to study Business Administration. During her second semester examination for 300 Level  last October, she only managed to sit for her exams.

    She was admitted to the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Abeokuta, where she had been receiving treatment before. At the hospital, Love had three sessions of dialysis and was later discharged in November.

    About two weeks later, Love was admitted again. ’’When she was admitted, we had already given up hope; but thank God for prayers.  Her friends also came over and donated blood for her. Later, the doctor told us  that the dialysis machine was not functioning well, and referred us to Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital (OOUTH), Sagamu.

    “On our way to the hospital in December, she collapsed at the gate of OOUTH. I was so scared, I was just shouting.We took her  to the Emergency Ward and she was stabilised. It  was there the  doctor that told us she needs kidney transplant and that we would need between N8million and N12million for it.The doctor told us not to be quiet about our situation to speak up so that well-meaning Nigerians could help us and save  Love’s life ,’’ Mrs Ologun added.

    The mother said anyone who wanted to help Love could contact them via   08037128147 or 08038507433.

    Donation could also be  sent to Ologun Love Ferisope’s Guaranty Trust Bank(GTBank) Account Number 0142237435, she added.

  • Kidney patient seeks N7.7m for transplant

    Life has become miserable for a 32-year-old unemployed graduate, Adeboboye Ayodeji Ebenezer, who now needs N7.7 million for kidney transplant in India.

    He is calling on well-meaning citizens, governments, corporate organisations, foundations and others to assist in raising the cash needed for the transplant.

    Adeboboye, who hails from Ifaki Ekiti in Ido/Osi Local Government of Ekiti State, graduated from Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA) in 2010. He remained unemployed since then.

    He was diagnosed of chronic renal failure, secondary to hypertensive Nephropathy in the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital Ado-Ekiti, in June.

    He was placed on twice section of Hemodialysis a week that cost him N142,000 per section and N248,000 a week.

    He said: “To live normal life, kidney transplant is needed, which will cost me N7,700,000 in Apollo Hospital, India.

    “The financial implication to fix the kidney transplant is just too much for me as a single individual and as an unemployed graduate. I am, therefore, soliciting for financial assistance for kidney transplant from God-spirited Nigerians.

    “I will forever be grateful to Nigerians, if they can come together for my help.”

    Adeboboye tendered relevant hospital documents and pictures to buttress his appeal. His account detail: Adeboboye Ayodeji Ebenezer. GTBank: 0034050586. Phone Number: 08036162882.

  • ‘Kidney transplant is cheaper in Nigeria’

    ‘Kidney transplant is cheaper in Nigeria’

    • LASUTH explains success of second kidney transplant

    With the success of the second kidney transplant at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), there is hope for patients who cannot afford to travel abroad. It is cheaper to get it done at the hospital, writes OYEYEMI GBENGA-MUSTAPHA

    It is no longer news that kidney transplant can be done in Nigeria at a cheaper rate. With the success of the second kidney transplant at the LASUTH,  Nigerians have been called upon to patronise indigenous health facilities that carry out kidney transplant. This according to experts in Nephrology will help in consolidating their capacity, save FOREX and put the country among the best referral centres across the globe.

    It is a common knowledge that Nigerians prefer to obtain organs transplant in foreign countries, including India, Dubai, UK and the US.

    According to the leader of the team that sucessfully carried out the second kidney transplant at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), an Associate Professor of Medicine and a Consultant Nephrologist, Dr. Olugbenga  Awobusuyi, many medics in diaspora are Nigerians. “The reasons why they travel out is because of power, equipment, environment, among others. But now these have been taken care of by most kidney transplant centres across the country. It is high time Nigerians  partonised indigenous centres because they parade highly skilled hands, who work in the right environment.

    An elated Dr Awobusuyi said the transplanted patient is a 41-year-old police officer. His 42-year-old sibling donated the kidney. Both brothers are alive. The transplanted kidney patient is awaiting discharge. It costs him N4.5m, which will guarantee him a six month drug supply.

    Agreeing with Dr Awobusuyi, the Chief Medical Director (CMD) of LASUTH, Prof. Wale Oke, said the kidney transplant was a great feat performed by a team of indigenous medical experts in the hospital.

    Prof Oke said the kidney transplant centre birthed in the hospital following the state government’s determination to stem medical tourism.

    He said it is the vision of the state government to make LASUTH a foremost institute where transplants can be done, especially kidney, considering the rising cases of renal failure. The team is not limited to kidney transplant; it can handle heart and other organs’ transplants.

    According to him, “60 percent of patients on wheel chair at the international airport in Lagos have to do with kidney issues, and most of them are going to India or the United States for transplant, with a lot of foreign exchange involved.”

    “One thing unique about this exercise is that the experts are all Nigerians and from LASUTH apart from one, an associate nephrologist.”

    Oke said the surgery was not free, but cost about N4.5 million compared to N8 million and above charged overseas.

    He said LASUTH would not accept commercial donors for organ transplant, only from relations or suitors, with proven evidence. He said the cost of the surgery covers six months supply of drugs.

    “What we are doing now is family donation. We are also looking at going into heart transplant. We encourage Nigerians to come to the hospital for their kidney transplant at an affordable cost. We take kidney from a family member because it makes the outcome better,” Prof Oke added.

    Dr. Awobusuyi said: “In line with LASUTH statement on organs donors, no one will accept  any commercial donor. For instance, the kidney we just transplanted now was obtained from the immediate senior brother of the patient. The Tissue Typing was identical and easily matched, likewise the Antigens. Commercial donors are not welcomed here. I have some Nigerians that have come to me attempting to sell their organs; I declined them because we have a name to protect. Once such a person finishes spending the money, what is left? Nothing. Because we obtained the kidney from a relation, the surgery went well and we did not experience any complication. The two transplants lasted for about seven hours. Post operation, the patient is in the ward, recuperating well and awaiting discharge. We have discharged the brother.

    Dr Awobusuyi said there are many patients awaiting transplant, and they are on dialysis but no donors. Some have donors but no money. We are soliciting for money through LASUTH initiative, unfortunately some have died.”

    On patients who are still bent on travelling abroad for kidney transplant, Dr Awobusuyi said there are many centres in the country, in private and public hospitals that can do the surgery. “Here at LASUTH , the patient will be attended to in a relaxed environment that has the best equipment. Also, we have the best hands to perform the feat and the money involved is not as much as what it costs overseas. Out there, they get non relation organs with all the consequences.

    “We accept non relations based on the proof that they are suitors, pastors or long-time friend or willing donor. Donors are examined by a Clinical Psychologist for evaluation to check if he is under stress, or being coerced. No financial input from the potential recipient. He or she will be made to sign Consent Form and also swear at the court that the donation was being freely done.”

    On Tissue Typing, we send samples abroad because it is cost effective to do that. The one at Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital (OAUTH), Ile Ife is expensive but with time, it is expected they will reduce it. The laboratory is newly acquired and I guess they want to recover the investment first,” Dr Awobusuyi.

    On whether his team was afraid  of losing the patient, he said: “It is a major surgery. We have two patients we are attending to at the same time. One is ill the other is not (the donor) and he is being subjected to a major surgery. But we know we are giving the recipient the gift of life, and the necessary equipment and infrastructure were there, we put in our best as a team and, today, it has become history. As humans, one can get jittery, especially when blood pressure drops or goes up. But the Anathesist knows her onion and rose to that challenge.”

    He said many patients are on the waiting list for donors while those with ready donors have no money to perform the surgery. “Our challenge is lack of donors. We prefer family donors. We don’t accept commercial donors. Unfortunately, many of the patients are on dialysis, some  are dying. The more they stay on dialysis the more debt they incur; transplant is the best option. Once it is a year after the transplant the cost of drugs reduces, so it is cheaper at the end of the day than dialysis,” he stated.

    He said it is interesting to know that drugs take the large chunk of the payment for a transplant because, “we fear rejection, because the recipient’s body sees the transplanted kidney as a foreign object the way it sees typhoid, malaria or other illness, and mount up a whole lot of immune responses to fight, reject and destroy it. So, we administer immune-suppressants and antibiotics to suppress the reaction and maintain a balance between suppression of the system and not over suppressing the immune system that give way to cancers that can cause infection,” he said.

    A pharmacist, Mrs Modupe Oyawole, who was part of the team said it was an eye opener to her how kidney transplant is done, “The best practices put in place went a long way in making it a success. We obtained the drugs from the manufacturers’ representatives in the country, so we obtained genuine drugs at minimal cost anybody can get anywhere. We need the government, non governmental organisations (NGOs) and other advocacy groups to come on board.

    “We also will continue to get the drugs for the patients after they are discharged for about six months; we deliberately built that in, so as to ensure genuineness and affordability. A professional boPdy will never tell a patient or client to use expired or near-expired drugs, only a quack does that. We do not compromise; hence, dugs take about N3m of the cost of kidney transplant at LASUTH. After some time, the drugs are reduced based on the amount of doses in the body system

    Chief Matron Aramide Adamson said it was a collective effort that ensured the success of the kidney transplant because, “we all put in our very best. Nobody wants to be an exception.”

    Deputy Director of Nursing Mrs Modupe Shode said the feat has registered LASUTH among the best facility in the world on kidney transplant.

  • Man, 49, needs N10.5m for kidney transplant

    Man, 49, needs N10.5m for kidney transplant

    Forty-nine-year-old Anambra State-born Chidolue Christopher Anusiobi, who has been diagnosed with a chronic kidney disease, needs about N10.5 million ($35,000) to undergo immediate kidney transplant.

    Anusiobi, who is a native of Ekwulumili in Nnewi South Local Government Area of Anambra State, is on admission at the Jaypee Hospital at Noida in India.

    He urged the Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government (FG), his state governor, Willie Obiano, among others, to assist him.

    A statement by his wife, Jane Ijeoma Anusiobi, said Chidolue had been in the hospital since February 2015, waiting for financial help to enable him undergo the surgery.

    She described her husband as an orphan and only surviving child of his late parents.

    Reports from the hospital said Anusiobi is suffering from Ischemic heart disease and chronic kidney disease.

    It was learnt that he urgently need a kidney transplant to stay alive.

    A document mailed to our reporter by the patient’s wife, revealed that the patient undergoes dialysis three times a week and the cost of the kidney transplant and other treatments is $35,000, about N10.5 million.

    The document was signed by the Managing Director and Director Medical (Nephrology, AIMS), Dr. Anil Prasad Bhatt, who is also the Senior Consultant, Nephrology and Kidney Transplant in the hospital.

    The report, dated April 22 and tagged: To whom so ever be concern, said: “This is to certify that Reg. no (JHN 00053796), Mr. Chidolue Christopher Anusiobi, 49, male, is suffering from chronic kidney disease. He needs dialysis thrice in a week and he needs a kidney transplant.

    “He came on dialysis in Jaypee Hospital Sector 128, from June 9, 2015 till date.”

    The pro-forma invoice prepared for the patient o May 23 and signed by the hospital’s Information Patient Services and the AGM, Administration and Communication, Ms Fatha Kaz and Mr. Marcel Kumar, said: “Patient is suffering from Ischemic heart disease and chronic kidney disease and needs to undergo kidney transplant as soon as possible, and the total cost of treatment is $35,000 USD.”

    Ms Kaz and Mr. Kumar quoted Dr. Anil as giving the cost of Anusiobi’s treatment.

    Jane’s letter of appeal said Anusiobi was doing well in his automotive-battery business before the sickness struck four years ago.

    She left her United Bank for Africa (UBA) account number for all to pay whatever amount into to help her husband.

    Bank name: UBA; Account name: Anusiobi Janefrances Ifeoma; Account number: 2031094852.

    Te family’s Indian contact phone number: +919871403613, for enquiries.

  • Journalist needs N8m for kidney transplant

    The Ondo State Correspondent of Newswatch Magazine, Adegoke Adewinle, has appealed to the public to save his life.

    Adewinle, who had a stint with the now rested National Life and Peoples News was diagnosed with renal failure.

    Speaking to The Nation, the patient said he has been undergoing dialysis at the Kidney Care Centre in Ondo twice a week. Each session costs N60,000.

    He said: “However through expert advice, I have decided to seek for funds for possible kidney transplant in India, which will cost me between N5million and N8million.

    “It is a strange disease. I don’t drink or smoke. I live purely on water.

    “I have written to Governor Olusegun Mimiko but I have not gotten any response.”

    He pleaded with charitable Nigerians and organisations to bail him out .

    His account details are Goke Adewinle First Bank, Market Branch, Akure 2005612730.

    His phone numbers are 08184561141, 08057915869.

  • Retired police officer’s son needs N6m for kidney transplant

    Retired police officer’s son needs N6m for kidney transplant

    Ishola Taofeeq, 18, is writhing in pains from a kidney disease. He was first diagnosed of it in August 2014. He is  on twice weekly haemodialysis at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH). To stay alive, doctors said he would need N6 million for kidney transplant.

    In his medical report from UITH  signed by Dr Ibiyemi M. Ibiyemi, the hospital said: “The above-named patient is being managed for kidney disease. He was diagnosed in August 2014 and will require an urgent kidney transplantation which will cost him about N6 million only.’’

    The son of a retired police officer is, therefore, appealing to public-spirited individuals and philanthropic organisations to come to his rescue.

    He said donations could be channelled through these account numbers: 3060318294

    Name: Ishola Alade, Firstbank, 0020742966; or Abdulkareem A Imama:Access Bank.

    The parent can be reached via this number: 08132150428.

    The report added: “He is on twice weekly haemodialysis. He has requested that a letter be written for him to source for fund for his care. We recommend him for your kind financial assistance.”

    Also, in a Save our Soul (SOS) letter to the state government, Taofeeq’s father and mother, Yunus Ishola and Ajarat urged Kwara State Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed to save the life of their son.

    The letter reads: “We write to request for your financial assistance towards saving the life of our son. He has been diagnosed of kidney disease and requires urgent kidney transplantation. We cannot raise the said amount and we desire to save the life of our son.

    “We have sourced for fund from various means ranging from the sale of our property to begging for alms in the mosques, markets and other public places not minding the psychological trauma involved to no avail.

    “We are now compelled to approach your office as the last hope. As a God-fearing leader and defender of humanity, we appeal to you to come to our aid financially to enable us carry out the operation so that the life of our son shall not be wasted.

    “We hope you will consider our request with dispatch as you have done to others in the past.”

    Taofeeq, who resides with his parents in Kankatu area of Ilorin, the Kwara State capital is also urging members of the public to bail him out of health challenge by donating generously to effect his kidney transplantation.

    He added that so far, he had done more than 11 haemodialyses without getting over the predicament.

    He added: “I am using this medium to appeal to the general public to help out of this ailment by assisting me financially for the operation to be carried out.’’

  • Three-year-old needs N10million for kidney transplant

    Three-year-old needs N10million for kidney transplant

    Under normal circumstances, Anjolaoluwa Oluwole should be rolling out the drums come February 23. Friends, schoolmates and family members should be joining him to cut her fourth birthday cake. But there won’t be any such celebration, at least not this year.

    Anjola, as she is fondly called, may be undergoing dialysis on her fourth birthday. Since last January, she has been subjected to the painful procedure at least twice in a week. Each session costs N20, 000, while pre and post dialysis tests come at N6, 000 per session.

    This is the painful life the adorable three-year-old has been living in the last 11 months. When her mother noticed a tiny swelling in her abdomen exactly on March 28, 2015, she thankfully didn’t take any chances. Laboratory tests revealed that the kidneys of the innocent child were damaged.

    Since her first admission on April 1, 2015, Anjola has been practically in and out of hospital. “She is constantly on antibiotics and keeps getting blood transfusion because the ailment keeps draining her blood,” her mother, Kemi, stated.

    The constant hospitalisation has also exposed her to bacteria, virus and fungi infections, leaving her medically battered. The hitherto brilliant kid has dropped out of school in search of medical solutions to the damages to her young system.

    Her parents are emotionally and financially drained. At the last estimate, nothing less than N2million of the family’s savings have been expended on treatments. Anjola consumes the Human Serum Albumin (HSA) in less than 30 minutes at N40, 000 per drop. Over 10 drops have been injected into her system. There is also the Fresh Frozen Plasma (FFP), which helps to stabilise her during painful moments.

    Though FFP is administered free because she is a child, it costs the parents a lot to get the drip and screen her for the procedure. “We pay N5, 000 to get FFP after we must have suffered for just two weeks to get screening,” Mrs. Oluwole said.

    The medical report on her case signed by Dr A.U Solarin, a Consultant Pediatric Nephrologist at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) stated that she was initially diagnosed of nephritic syndrome.

    The report added: “Her renal function has progressively deteriorated and estimated glomerular filtration rate is less than 10%. Kidney is functioning at less than 10%.”

    In simple terms, her two kidneys are gone. To stand the chance of survival, Anjola has to undergo a transplant. The options open to her parents are unattractive. She needs a donor who must be a sibling from 18-65. The second of three children has no sibling that fits that bill.

    Her elder brother is six, while the younger sister is just one year, four months. That leaves the family with the other hard alternative: either of the parents must donate one of their kidneys. While both parents are most willing and have no fuss about paying the price, they are hampered by the huge financial requirements.

    The first has to do with a compatibility test that costs N307, 000 per parent. Each has to undergo the test to determine who is more compatible as a donor. Then Anjola too has to go through the test at the same amount. That practically amounts to almost N1million to cross the first hurdle.

    Next is the cost of transplant itself in either South Africa or India, estimated at N10million. While Kemi makes a little from her catering business, the husband, Olusina, a civil engineer, has been out of job for over two years.

    This leaves the family practically stranded and little Anjola at the brink. But Mrs. Oluwole is optimistic her girl will pull through. “God has kept her despite the crisis and pains associated with the health condition. We have seen Him move on our behalf and believe He will send us help again.”

    She appeals to Nigerians to come to their rescue. Little Anjola requires N10million to successfully undergo kidney transplant. To donate, kindly pay into:

    – Oluwole Victoria Anjolaoluwa 

    6150652132

    Fidelity Bank.

     

  • Arousing transplant

    • Where is Nigeria in a world where tech development is advancing daily?

    In a world of increasingly mind-blowing scientific feats, news of a successful penile transplant with a positive “long-term result” is arousing in more ways than one.  Certainly, it is a thought-provoking development as well as an eye-opener. Described as “the world’s first successful male organ transplant” and “a groundbreaking scientific achievement”, the nine-hour operation to give an unnamed 21-year-old man another phallus after the original one was amputated following a disastrous circumcision was reportedly performed at Tygerberg Hospital in Cape Town, South Africa. Surgeons from the hospital and Stellenbosch University carried out the procedure using a penis donated by “a deceased organ donor.”

    Understandably, it all sounds hard to believe, and the apparent incredibility can be grasped from the excited reaction of one of the surgeons that made it happen. Prof. Frank Graewe was quoted as saying: “It’s a massive breakthrough. We’ve proved that it can be done – we can give someone an organ that is just as good as the one that he had. It was a privilege to be part of this first successful penis transplant in the world.”

    Interestingly, the measure of the success was captured by Graewe who said of the man with the new penis: “He gets good quality erections, ejaculates and has frequent sex with his partner.” The man deserves congratulations. It is noteworthy that the transplant was done in December last year, and has only just been publicised.  A number of remarkable observations reinforce the magnitude of the miraculous scientific accomplishment, and it must be said that the seemingly paradoxical description emphatically projects the out-of-this-world reality.  In the first place, the man at the centre of the story reportedly “lost all but a 1cm stump of his penis” three years ago. Furthermore, nine other men are expected to receive penile transplants based on the groundbreaking success.  In addition, it is worth noting that Prof. Andre van der Merwe who led the operation is said to have experimented on cadavers for years in order to determine how nerves, blood vessels and other elements could be connected to achieve full penile functionality.

    It is a testimony not only to the possibilities of science but also the ingenuity of scientists that the delicate procedure has now been perfected. This is against the background that 10 years ago a man in China reportedly received a transplant only for him to ask surgeons to remove the donated penis two weeks after the operation. It is relevant to link the breakthrough to the South African context in which no fewer than 250 men are estimated to suffer penis loss every year on account of a manhood initiation ceremony conducted by the Xhosa tribe. The cutting of the penis foreskin by a traditional expert, which is considered the ultimate test of the rite of passage, often results in complications that may cause penile damage, or even death.  It is no surprise that the cultural practice continues to attract criticism and condemnation.

    However, beyond the evident environmental inspiration for the penile transplant procedure, it is important to highlight the scientific infrastructure and insight that enabled the exploit. In this connection, there are obviously useful lessons for Nigeria, particularly considering its poor focus on scientific development and its under-developed scientific community. It is pertinent to observe that, according to a 2013 list, recent stunning scientific developments include man-made organs, bionic humans, remote control brains, war robots, human head transplant and genetically modified babies.

    Where is Nigeria in this picture? Without doubt, the 21st century imagination and vision require a passionate promotion of science and technology, without which the country is unlikely to make much progress despite its oil-rich status.

  • Borno teacher needs N8m for kidney transplant

    Borno teacher needs N8m for kidney transplant

    Faced with a life-threatening renal condition, Rahila Jiboyewa, a Maiduguri-based school teacher, in company with her daughter, Bisola makes an urgent appeal for assistance to enable her access timely treatment. She shared her emotional story with Sunday Oguntola.

    At 53, and after two decades in service, Mrs. Rahila Jiboyewa, an economic teacher at University of Maiduguri staff school, should be looking forward to a well-deserved retirement. But the last three years seems to have rubbished all that, as she battles a life-threatenening health condition. It all started when she noticed that her sights were becoming blurred. Surgeries after surgeries didn’t offer the needed relief.

    When she became tired, she decided to leave Maiduguri to seek medical help at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), where she was put on admission for almost nine months. From there, she proceeded to the Eye Foundation, also in Lagos. Yet, all her efforts proved abortive.

    Though she had been managing diabetes for over twenty years, her sight trouble became a nightmare. When nothing was working, Jiboyewa heard she could get better treatment in India through a friend, and off she went to Chennai for medical treatment last month. It took a loan facility from her place of work and the goodwill of relations to raise the hefty travelling fare.

    If she left Nigeria with hope, everything came crashing when she got to India. For one, her sight deficiencies were rectified. The Indian opticians succeeded in improving her vision. She, and Bisola, her first child, who travelled with her were overjoyed.

    But it was a short-lived joy.

    Doctors told her it was only a matter of time before the sights went bad again; and that if it ever does, it would be Jiboyewa’s kidneys.  In fact, they were emphatic that the kidneys were functioning at less than ten percent. That, they explained, was what affected her sights and created other medical complications.

    “I couldn’t believe what I heard,” the mother of four stated. “I knew I have diabetes, not renal failure.”

    But medical science dispels all doubts and reservations. According to tests carried out at Global Hospitals and Healthy City, her kidneys are at the brink of a total shutdown.

    The test result signed by Dr K. Ezhilarasan of the hospital’s department of clinical biochemistry shows that Jiboyewa’s Serum Creatinine is hovering at 7.6, a ridiculously high level for a normal human being. Medical experts believe a healthy kidney should stand at 0.5-1.0. Her Serum Uric acid stands at 6.4 as against the 2.6-6.0 normal level.

    The rapid deterioration of her kidneys is quite alarming. According to a test result from the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital dated 21th of January, 2015, Jiboyewa’s Creatinine was still at 3.61. Her uric acid stood at 4.25. But despite the notoriously high levels, the alarm bells did not ring.

    “The doctors explained that her kidneys are virtually gone; she is more or less on her way out,” Bisola, her daughter cried out. “My mother is dying practically and the thought is depressing and distressing,” the graduate of Business Administration from the University of Maiduguri, lamented.

    While dialysis remains an option for Jiboyewa, the Indian doctors recommended that an outright kidney transplant would be most preferable. Once started, dialysis will be costly and killing without any stop until she dies. But a transplant will offer her at least a functional kidney, with which she could lead a healthy life for many foreseeable years. The snag, however, is that a transplant is an expensive procedure that a teacher like Jiboyewa cannot afford.

    Confirmation from India

    When our correspondent contacted Global Hospitals and Healthy City, the International Patience Assistance Centre confirmed that Jiboyewa was there in a series of emails. In a letter signed by Dr Rajal Saxena, the hospital stated that she would need to cough out almost $20,000 approximately N4million to undergo renal transplantation.

    To get a donor will cost another $10,000 or N2million. This is excluding cost of staying in the hospital for three months with the donor for observation and post-transplantation treatment estimated at $800 by the hospital.

    In all, the Borno-born teacher, who is married to a teacher from Otikipupa in Ondo will require N8million to get her life back to normal. She believes Nigerians are born with milk of human kindness and will come to her rescue. “I have heard of many cases and I believe Nigerians will not let me die now,” she stated. “Even if it is a loan, I need help. I need Nigerians to help me stay alive,” she pleaded.

    Bisola seems more desperate: “Nigerians should please help my mum. I and my siblings need her alive now. I am pleading that everything should be done to save her life.”

    To support Mrs. Jiboyewa, please send donation to Rahila Mshelia Jiboyewa 2001498026 First Bank, Maiduguri Borno State.