From Olanrewaju Lawal, Birni-Kebbi
Maryam Isah is seven, but she is just like a helpless toddler. Without her parents and siblings, she can hardly get anything done by herself. She cannot walk by herself, and her mum, Hajia Umar Isah, still carries her on the back to school and to the hospital for check-ups.
The helpless girl has a hole in the heart, and she has since become the family’s burden.
“We can’t allow my daughter to die prematurely like this. She was born with the sickness and doctor said the condition can be corrected,” her father, Umar Isah told Daily Sun.
Maryam’s parents are from Fakai Local Government Area of Kebbi State. Doctors said she has a “cyanotic congenital heart disease,” commonly known as a hole in the heart, and the family needs about N3.5m to correct the disorder at an Indian hospital. She was diagnosed with the sickness by the Paediatric Cardiology Unit, Department of Paediatrics, Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital, Sokoto in 2012. A letter signed by Dr Usman M. Sani confirmed the sickness.
A document made available to Daily Sun by the patient’s father, partly reads: “The above-named patient was detected to have cyanotic congenital heart disease (Tetralogy of Fallot) following cardiac evaluation at our hospital.
“Pulse Oxymeyry showed oxygen saturation of 78%. Her echo cardiography report is hereby attached. In view of the need for surgical intervention, she is hereby referred for further evaluation and management.”
Similarly, another letter from The Madras Medical Mission, India and signed by Dr. K Sivakumar confirmed the patient’s sickness.
The letter, dated 27-09-2013, noted: “Baby Maryam Isah, aged 3.5 years from Sokoto, Nigeria is diagnosed to have Tetralogy of Fallot. She needs details cardiac evaluation, angiogram followed by corrective surgery. She is accepted for further treatment here. The estimated expenses are US $7000 and the period of stay is three weeks. She can come for the treatment on medical visa on first or second week of October 2013.
It was gathered that all efforts to raise the money by the parents and relatives did not yield any fruitful results.
Mr. Umar Isah explained that the family had been managing the sickness since 2012 when she was three and half years. He said doctors had told the family that the sickness could be corrected at an Indian hospital.
In an emotional voice, Mr. Isah narrated the family’s efforts to get necessary support to save Maryam’s life. He recalled that when she started exhibiting some strange symptoms, she was taken to the hospital for medical check up.
“I was a student at a university in Niger State then. They referred us to the Kanu Heart Foundation, but after I spent three weeks in Abuja without seeing them, I returned home. We were also referred to another hospital, but I cannot afford the money they demanded,” he said.
He said he also approached the Kebbi State Government for help, “but along the line, I was told that our file is missing.” He added that he approached the current administration of Governor Abubakar Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi State, regretting that there has been no response.
He appealed to Nigerians to help save his daughter’s life. “We were told that at her age now, she could still be managed. But if she reaches adolescence, the situation might grow worse,” he said.
He appealed to general public to come to his family’s assistance to ensure that her daughter do not die prematurely.
Those wishing to help Mr. Isah can be reached on 08060546930