6-year-old hole-in-heart boy needs N5m for surgery

A six-year-old Nursery Two pupil of D-Way Group of Schools, Ologuneru, Ibadan, Salami Akinjide, has been diagnosed with a hole in his heart and urgently requires a surgery to save his life.

Salami has been slated for surgery and treatment of the ailment at the Obafemi Awolowo Teaching Hospital, Ile-Ife, Osun State.

The problem is: The boy’s parents are crying they don’t have the N5 million sum that the hospital is demanding as cost for the surgery, treatment and drugs.  Salami’s father, Ismail Akinjide, who is a shop attendant, and his mother, Oluwatosin, a hair stylist, said they had spent all they had on managing their son’s health and were now struggling to put food on their table for survival, let alone affording the required money for surgery.

Oluwatosin appealed to Nigerians, “Please, don’t allow my baby to die. He is an intelligent and brilliant boy. Help me with whatever you can afford. I don’t want him dead.”

A diagnostic report obtained by our correspondent at the University College Hospital, (UCH) and signed by Dr. B. E. Adebayo, a Consultant Paediatric Cardiologist, indicated that Salami was currently on oral propranolol to control his symptoms.

The report reads: “Chest radiograph showed cardiomegaly with reduced lung markings. Electrocardiograhy showed features of right ventricular hypertrophy and echocardiography confirmed the diagnosis of tetralogy of fallout. He, however, will require open-heart surgery for the correction of his congenital heart defect. This will help optimise his growth and allow him achieve his full potentials for development.”