Twenty-four years ago, the family of Malam Lawal Yahaya was thrown into celebration when Fadila was born, little did they know that their happiness would be cut short as Fadila was carrying the sickle cell anaemia.
Since her birth, Fadila has been having one crisis or the other which prevented her from continuing with her studies after graduating seven years ago from Government Day Secondary School (GDSS), Rigachukun.
Fadila, who is currently receiving partial treatment at a private hospital in Kaduna, has complications from what is known medically as avascular necrosis of the head of the femur and the complications necessitate total hip replacement surgery which will cost about N3m.
Apart from the hip complication, Fadila is having problems with her bone marrow, liver, spleen and eyes as a result which her blood level gets low which requires transfusion regularly.
Malam Yahaya told Daily Trust Saturday that when his daughter was brought to the hospital, her blood level was 18 when it was supposed to be a maximum of 26, and added that, “The hospital had to do a transfusion to bring up the level; it’s like her blood is evaporating.”
Our correspondent who visited Fadila at the private hospital observed that there is a bulge in her along her spinal cord, her hip bone is protruding and her eyes are as yellow.
Narrating the family’s ordeal, Malam Yahaya, who is a civil servant, said he had exhausted all his savings in treating his daughter who he said could not do anything by herself.
He said, “I have six children, three of who have the sickle cell anaemia. I got married in 1986, and at that time, there was not much awareness on genotype before marriage. My first three children are carriers, and to God be the glory; the first two have been stable for some time now.
“Fadila’s case is, however, different. It has been one problem or the other. Since she was born, we have been battling with the sickness even though it was not as bad as it is now. We are always in one hospital or the order.
“The recent crisis started in August, 2017. She spent 10 days in a private hospital before she was transferred to the Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital (ABUTH), Zaria, where she was operated on in both her knees.
“After the surgery, she was in severe pain and was unable to walk and as a result she developed a wound in her hip which has now affected her spinal cord. She is in so much pain and the pain killers are not working for her anymore.”
He added that, “I do not have the means to continue with her treatment because there are some parts that need to be imported for the surgery and other requirement running into millions of naira. That is why I am appealing to Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), as well as well-meaning Nigerian’s to come to the aide of my daughter.”
He prayed God to heal his daughter so that she could go back to her normal life because her juniors had gone ahead of her in terms of school and other necessities of life.
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