Femi Oduntan, who has been suffering from spinal cord-related injuries since 2011 is calling on Nigerians to come to his rescue and help him raiseN6.4m for a stem cell transplant in India.
Nineteen-year-old Femi Oduntan is lucky to be alive today.Others
who suffered a similar fate like have not lived to tell their stories.
Oduntan, a 200 level student in the Computer Science Department,
Lagos State University, Ojo Campus,has been confined to a wheelchair
since he sustained a spinal cord injury which has confined him to a
wheel chair after a diving accident at the Alpha Beach in Lagos in
January 2011.
His mother, Omowunmi, who spoke with our correspondent when she visited THE PUNCH Place, Magboro, Ogun State, for financial assistance,saidN6.4m was needed to correct the damage to her son’s spinal cord.
She said the amount would cover the cost of treatment and travel for 40 days at Fortis Hospital, New Delhi, India.
This is a huge amount for the Oduntans, who have spent over N6m naira
on hospital bills since their son began treatment in local hospitals in
the last 18 months ago,and they are calling on government,
organisations and well-meaning Nigerians to raise the N6.4m for Femi’s
treatment.
Narrating their ordeal, Omowunmi, who was accompanied to the Punch
office by her husband, Ayodele, said the family had sold all their
properties and exhausted their savings to keep the boy alive for the
past one and half years.
She said, “I sold everything in my provision store, his father also
sold every property that he had. If not for family members who have been
helping out, he might have died. We have no source of livelihood for
now, and we are calling on Nigerians to help prevent our son from
dying.”
Apart from the financial and emotional turmoil of his condition,
Femi, has also suffered some academic setbacks, because instead of
receiving lectures, he was either in and out of the hospital receiving
treatment.
This harrowing experience began in 2011 after Femi sustained severe
head injuries after a diving accident at the Alpha Beach in Lagos and
was rushed to the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Igbobi, Lagos. He
was later referred to the Lagos University Teaching Hospital,
Idi-Araba due to his critical condition.
Omowunmi said, “ He was unconscious and could not move his hands
and legs and he had not used the toilet or eaten in days. We were
referred to the Intensive Care Unit at LUTH where he was on
respiratory support for almost two weeks. The doctor told us his chance
of survival then was 10 per cent.”
Although Femi survived, several injuries that he had sustained
remained unhealed. He is wheelchair-bound at an age he should be active
and furthering his studies.
In a medical report, his doctor, a consultant Neurosurgeon at LUTH,
Dr. Olufemi Bankole, said due to the gluteal and sacral pressure ulcers
that remained unhealed, Femi would be wheel chair- bound until he
regains the proximal use of his limb.
The import of this diagnosis is that Femi has to be assisted in his day to day activities like a baby.
His mother said, “He cannot use the toilet on his own, they passed a
catheter through his penis for him to urinate and I have to assist
him to defecate. I insert my hands into his anus to bring out his
excreta. He cannot walk and we have to carry him anywhere. I have been
bathing him and also feeding him for the past 18 months.”
However, there is hope for Femi, but it lies at Fortis Hospital, New Delhi, India.
Going by the medical report given to the Oduntans by Dr. G.V Ramdas
in India, Femi has a C4 fracture with dislocation and spinal cord
injury which seems to be a complete below C5.
The diagnosis reads, “ He has problems of bedsores and it is already
ten months old. The only option is decompression and stabilisation to
prevent ongoing injury at the fracture site. We may have to do a stem
cell transplant which is however not an accepted form of treatment but
being tried out with variable results.
“However, that is the only option, as surgery at this stage can
worsen the patient’s condition. If the patient is willing to accept the
risk, if something is compressed and therefore not working, then it can
be improved.”
Meanwhile, Femi’s father, Ayodele, said the family had been able to
raise N1m naira but other efforts to gather the remaining amount had
been frustrated.
Ayodele said, “We spent over N6m on various treatments that he has
been receiving at LUTH and other hospitals just to keep him alive. We
were begging to pay the bills he incurred at the ICU unit. In fact my
business is not functioning.
“I am appealing to corporate organisations, governments and
Nigerians to come and rescue my son. He reads and writes very well,
nothing is wrong with his brain but he cannot walk. For him to have
survived till today, I know God has a special plan for him. Nigerians
should help me rescue my boy.”
Donations for Femi can be made to this account: Omowunmi Oduntan: 0003840165: ECOBANK.
Link to the news: http://www.punchng.com/health/boy-19-needs-n6-4m-for-stem-cell-transplant/
We are also appealing to corporate organisations, governments and
Nigerians to come to Femi's rescue!
No help or money is small....thanks!
Femi is just looking mere 6.4milli to save his life while some bunch of idiotic lunatics in government are there stealing billions of naira and crushing with family and girlfriends. This ain't funny anymore. Soon they will pay back and burn in hell.
ReplyDelete/Concerning Femi, i will support & play my own part.
Thankz u all. I really need ur help cos I have dream and talents of making it in life pls don't let them die with me. I can be contacted here +2347031066461. Am femi oduntan.
ReplyDelete@Femi,you are not gonna die. Promise, be strong!
Deletepls stop these rubish about tou die-ing cos U̶̲̥̅̊ aint gonna die α̲̅πϑ I promise Ɣou
ReplyDelete†ђξ lord T̶̲̥̅̊ђɑ̤̥̈̊Ŧ created U̶̲̥̅̊ avnt forgotten youcos I know Ɣou may look up and ask G̶̲̥̅̊ø̸̸̨̲̣̣d̶̲̥̅ why all these is happening †ΦΦ U̶̲̥̅̊ but I want Ɣou †ΦΦ remember T̶̲̥̅̊ђɑ̤̥̈̊Ŧ as the teacher is always silent during a test G̶̲̥̅̊ø̸̸̨̲̣̣d̶̲̥̅ hasn't forgotten Ɣou but he's only keeping silent α̲̅πϑ by his grace he shall rise up †ΦΦ your matter α̲̅πϑ soon enough we shall testify †ΦΦ
†ђξ glory off G̶̲̥̅̊ø̸̸̨̲̣̣d̶̲̥̅ ...all iss well
Good morning.The account no provided seems to be invalid.Please provide a valid account no. Thanks
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for your concern. Unfortunately i don't know or can say much about the account, and sadly enough it seems no phone contact was provided. I hope to get back to you if there is any useful information regarding FEMI. Thanks!
Deletethanks for your care... this is the account infromation...
ReplyDeleteAcc name : Omowunmi Oduntan
Acc number: 0003840165
Eco Bank... or you can call Mrs Oduntan at : 08034748637