By Esther Onyegbula

Hassan Adeyemi, the father of 11-year-old Oluwamayowa, diagnosed with a brain tumour,  has sent a save-our-soul message to all benevolent Nigerians, non- governmental organizations, and government towards helping his daughter complete her chemotherapy.

He told Good Health Weekly that Oluwamayowa was diagnosed in June 2021 and after her first major surgery, doctors confirmed that she had brain cancer.

A medical reference by Consultant Neurosurgeon at Babcock University Teaching Hospital, Dr Morgan, the patient was seen at the hospital with headache and vomiting and diagnosed of ventriculomegaly.

Reporting radiologists, Drs Onyekwere, Ajiboye, and Prof Awosanya had earlier made a diagnosis of posterior cranial fossa tumour with brain oedema, obstructive hydrocephalus, and incipient tonsilla herniation.

 According to Adeyemi, following months of running from pillar to post and spending their life savings, they were now in dire need of about N500,000 to complete her treatment.

He said it all started with a headache when she returned from school. The headache failed to respond to the pills she was administered and she couldn’t sleep.

“We took her to Bitola Private Hospital located in Ijebu Ode. She was examined and given drugs, but she continued to complain of the headache. So, we took her back to the hospital, she was given more drugs that provided no relief.”

Afterward they were referred to Babcock Hospital, where a CT scan showed that she had a tumour.

“I was shocked by the result. A minor surgery was carried out on her head to enable her to sleep. That was on June 19th, we returned for the removal of the tumour in September 29, 2022. When the result came out, we were told to go to the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, LUTH. The doctor said the tumour was cancerous and all the cancer cells had to be killed.

“We took her to LUTH on October 5th, 2021, saw an oncologist and began radiotherapy and chemotherapy for six weeks. She completed the first chemotherapy treatment on December 29, 2021.

“She was referred to the children’s oncology unit in LUTH and started another set of chemotherapy and that is what we have been on since January. She has to go through eight courses of chemotherapy, each lasting three weeks. She undergoes one for three weeks and rests for six weeks.”

Tearfully, Adeyemi recounted his travails, “For the first minor surgery, we paid N2 million, and N3 million for the major surgery. We spent an additional N2.5 million for the first six weeks of radiotherapy/chemotherapy and N2.45 million for chemotherapy in children’s oncology, minus the cost of drugs and the remaining two weeks of chemotherapy. The last stage of chemotherapy is scheduled for the 25th of February, 2023.

“We need financial help. We have spent all we have. We have borrowed from friends and taken loans from financial institutions and we still need N0.5 million to complete her chemotherapy.”

If you are touched, send your donation to Union Bank Adeyemi Oluwabunmi Hassan 0132258008, or call 08142073457 for details.