BARELY two weeks after her birth, two-year-
old Mercy Ohale, the first and only child of Mr
and Mrs Raymond Ohale was diagnosed with
a hole in the heart. According to the mother, Ijeoma Ohale,
Mercy’s was however being treated for
malaria. “… I discovered her breathing was too fast
and she was not growing normally. So, we
decided to take her to the hospital in the East
where she was treated repeatedly, but we
noticed her health was not improving so I
decided to bring her to Lagos. When we got to Lagos her health started
deteriorating I noticed she was changing
color then she fainted often.” “ The first time she fainted, we rushed her
to Oguntolu General Hospital at Palmgroove,
where she was stabilzed. Thereafter, she
was referred to Gbagada General Hospital
from where after much treatments we were
referred to Mercy Hospital on the Island some X-rays and test. After so much test
carried out on my daughter the doctor
referred us to Ikeja General Hospital, Ayinke
House but we could not see the doctor due to
massive crowd. We took her to a nearby
hospital and after close observation by the doctor we were referred to the Lagos
University Teaching Hospital LUTH at Idi
Araba for a comprehensive check, from
there she was refered to Mecure Laboratory
at Oshodi for more tests which cost us a lot of
money. It was there she was diagnosed with a hole in the heart.” According to the Health report issued
November 12, 2012 by the Consultant
Pediatrician, Professor C.A Okoromah of the
Lagos University Teaching Hospital Idi Araba
(LUTH) : “Mercy requires further
cardiovascular evaluation and possible heart surgery to correct the heart abnormality in
order to prevent irreversible and life-
threatening complications. Open-heart
surgery is not currently available in our
hospital. We have good surgical outcomes
from our patients referred to MIOT hospital in Chennai, India but the parents can choose
to go to any preferred pediatric
cardiovascular care.” Due to Mercy’s condition had to stop her
business of petty trading to look after her
ailing daughter. The father Raymond who lost
his job few years fends for his family with
epileptic commercial Okada. “… I have to take her to the hospital every
two weeks for her drugs and checkup... little
income the father makes is not enough to buy
even her drugs let alone the surgery
since...” the mother lamented. The total cost of the surgery (with other
expenses) to be carried out on Mercy in India
is N3million. “I feel so sad seeing my daughter
excruciating day by day. One side of her
chest is already swollen ... Iam appealing to
kind-hearted Nigerians to please help save
Mercy, she is my first and only child and I
don’t want to watch her die.” Mercy’s mother pleads. Help can reach the Ohale’s through: A/C name umelor chukwuma kenneth A/C NO:6002946764 keystone BANK GSM: 07038108246 <