WHEN his wife was delivered of a set of twins at the General Hospital, Iseyin, Oyo State, on September 19, 2009, Isiaka Yusuf of Ojoo-Oyo Road, IITA Bus-Stop, Moniya, Ibadan, was overjoyed.
The young man who hails from Osun –State was particularly happy that the twins -Taiwo and Kehinde, as well as their mother, were in very good state of health.
But this joy was soon to be cut short as Kehinde, one of the twins, developed a potentially fatal condition that requires N450,000 surgical correction.
Isiaka’s worries began nine months later when Kehinde fell ill and had to be admitted at the General Hospital, Ado-Awaye, Iseyin LGA. The diagnosis was malaria.
But to Isiaka’s shock, the baby’s condition gradually worsened. His head got bigger and bigger until a neurosurgeon diagnosed the condition known as Hydrocephalus – which is the buildup of too much cerebrospinal fluid, CSF, in the brain.
The anxious parents ran from pillar to post seeking relief for the child without success. “We took him to different hospitals, spent a lot of money on different treatments until we were referred to the University College Hospital (UCH) Ibadan. Prior to this, we had visited 12 different hospitals incurring a huge debt.”
Worse still, doctors warned about the likelihood of permanent brain damage to the child, causing problems with physical and mental development if untreated.
Without treatment, hydrocephalus is potentially fatal, but with treatment, Kehinde would be able to lead normal life with few limitations. The treatment in question involves surgery to insert a shunt. Medicine and rehabilitation therapy also help.
Normally, the CSF fluid cushions the brain, but when there is too much, it puts harmful pressure on the brain. Congenital hydrocephalus which is present at birthis often genetic and manifests with an unusually large. Acquired hydrocephalus, on the other hand, can occur at any age. Causes can include head injuries, strokes, infections, tumours and bleeding in the brain.
All in all, it has been a daunting development for the young father who although was at a complete loss as to how the condition could have come about, is desperately in search of the required sum for the surgery.
“I cannot explain it because Taiwo, the other twin is normal. We returned to the General Hospital, Ado Awaye, but the health workers there went on strike and the doctor only advised that we should be giving him multivitamins. We obeyed, but the child’s condition has continued to deteriorate. I am urgently seeking financial assistance for this surgery for Kehinde who has been due at the UCH, Ibadan since October 2011.
“My resolve to beg has become imperative when doctors say it may affect his brain if the surgery is not carried out urgently latest by first week of January 2012..”
If you are touched by Kehinde’s plight and wish to assist, kindly obtain more information from Isiaka Yusuf on 08039210888 or 08059001956.
Source: Vanguard
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