With his birth came the usual excitement. People gathered, ate, drank and made merry. He was a little bundle of joy in his parents’ arms. His birth further strengthened family bonds. He was even named Israel, with the biblical notion that he would be the apple of God’s eyes as His first gift to the family.
That was the picture at the home of Mr and Mrs Akin Toriola in Ejigbo, Lagos State. Mr Toriola, his father, is a local electrician. His home was blessed with a baby boy, little Ayoola Israel, on May 23, 2011.
The Toriolas were understandably eager to see their first child grow up well and healthy, with the prospect of becoming a responsible member of the society. Against all expectations, this bundle of joy has become a source of agony for the Toriolas. And it was neither the fault of the little Israel nor that of his parents. Israel, born 15 months ago has not shown any sign of “growing up well and healthy.”
Mr and Mrs Toriola noticed that their son who was full of life at birth,“was not breathing well, wasn’t eating well, and did not cry normally.”
That problem has continued. Even when he cries, the breathing remains very abnormal. He also continues to lose weight.
Not comfortable with the unwholesome situation of their son, The Toriolas started making medical enquiries on little Israel. They told Newsextra that “when the baby was three months old, we were asked to go and do some chest X-ray on the baby. That we did at Isolo General Hospital.
“We also went to the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi-Araba Lagos where one Dr Okoromah referred us to Clinique De-Mercy & Services Limited at Gbagada, Lagos for echocardiogram and electrocardiogram (ECG) tests. These are medical tests that measure and record electrical activity of the heart. Results of the tests showed that little Israel has a hole in his heart which manifests in his physical appearance that suggests a case of Down Syndrome.”
A medical report on little Toriola which was signed by Dr B. A. Animasahun, Consultant Paediatrician/Paediatric Cardiologist, on August 17, 2012 reads:
Medical Report of Ayoola Toriola Age 15 months:
“The above-named presented with history of breathlessness noticed since birth, associated with recurrent respiratory tract infections necessitating hospital admissions. There is history of excessive sweating and he has been failing to thrive. No history of squatting but bluish discoloration of the lips.
“Examination revealed a small for age child, with prominent heart sound on the right hemithorax, tarchycardic, cyanosed, with SPO2 in room air of 73%. He has a grade 2/6 ejection systolic murmur maximal at the right upper sterna border with a grade 3/6 diastolic murmur maximal at the right sterna border.
“A diagnosis of dextrocardia with a cyanotic congenital heart disease (CCHD) was made. Echocardiography confirmed, Dextrocardia, Double outlet right ventricle, large posterior upper muscular ventricular septal defect L-R and severe pulmonary artery hypertension.
“He has been tablet furosemide and syrup captopril. He requires surgical intervention abroad.
“…Patient and mother will also require a return ticket, international passport, some amount as pocket money.”
Based on the tests carried out at Clinique De-Mercy &Services Limited at Gbagada Lagos, the hospital recommended a heart surgery to be carried out in a hospital in India. The sum of N2.5m is required to effect the heart surgery (all expenses included) which the cardiologist said must be carried out as quickly as possible to save the life of little Israel. This sum of money is too hard for his parents to afford.
Therefore, Mr and Mrs Toriola Akin are crying to kind-hearted Nigerians, people who treasure the future of our children, Nigerians who appreciate that children are precious gifts from God Almighty, Nigerians who can imagine the pangs of labour that a woman goes through during child birth and the pains a mother or father could go through in the event of losing a child to death and Nigerians who can cheerfully choose to be Simon of Cyrene who helped Jesus Christ to carry His cross on the way to Golgotha.
The word cross is symbolic here. Whenever and at whatever point in time you help in reducing the burden or pains of a fellow mankind, it will be on record that you clothed, fed and gave water to Jesus Christ and the Prophets to drink. History and destiny would certainly smile at you.
A little help and sacrifice towards ensuring that a dying little soul survives will surely make a lot of difference.
Hear Mrs Toriola, a petty trader and mother of little Israel: “In tears, I beg fellow Nigerians to help in seeing that my child lives normal life again. When I remember the pangs and pains of labour, I wish I could have provided the money a day after the discovery of this defect in my child’s heart. But since my husband and I could not afford the huge amount of money required in exchange of my son’s life, I run and cry to you my fellow Nigerians to help in ensuring that this little Nigerian lives to be useful to himself and the country. I am confused.”
It is not inappropriate for Mrs Toriola to feel disappointed and be confused at one point in time or the other when she feels that the days of her only child are numbered if nothing is done fast.
For more information, the following telephone lines could be contacted: 08026306066 and 08032069949.
Payments can be made into the following bank account details: TORIOLA AYOOLA ISRAEL 0063147567 ECOBANK.
Since little Toriola’s health deteriorates daily, the Toriolas appeal to Lagos State governor Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN), public-spirited Nigerians and corporate organisations to provide financial help to enable them to take little Israel to India for the surgery as soon as possible so that the life of this Nigerian would be saved.
No comments:
Post a Comment