ON
DANGER LIST
15-year-old girl’s life rests on N1.5 million
bill
From
Henry Chukwurah, Port Harcourt
Tuesday,
May
23, 2006
Until January, this year, 15-year-old Miss Glory Edward bubbled
with life. Indeed, the parents of the Senior Secondary One
(SSI) student of Eneka Government Secondary School, Port Harcourt,
dreamt of a bright future for her.
Suddenly, all the joy and expectations came crashing under
the weight of an ailment that has been diagnosed by doctors
at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH)
as “Chronic renal failure” occasioned by a faulty
kidney.
Now, Glory needs N1.5 million to regain the fast waning glory
of her health. The bill is made up of N1 million for “renal
transplant” and N90,000 needed weekly for three sessions
of haemodialysis pending the transplant .
“She has had one session of Haemodialysis and would
require at least three sessions weekly at the cost of N30,000
per session which amounts to N90,000 weekly. She also requires
other drug treatment.
“She would ultimately require renal transplant which
would cost over one million naira if funds are available”,
wrote Professor F. Eke, a Consultant Nephologist with the
teaching hospital.
Unfortunately, the needed funds are far beyond the reach of
Glory’s parents. Her father, Mr Edward Garuba, is jobless
while her mother is a petty trader.
Mr Edward, who was retired from Ajaokuta Steel Company in
September 1998, had picked a security job with Julius Berger
in 2000, but was laid off four years later. Since then, efforts
to get gainful employment have drawn blank.
Worried over the plight of their intelligent and beautiful
daughter, man and his wife have appealed to Nigerians and
corporate bodies to help them.
“We appeal to public-spirited people, government and
organizations to come to our rescue in this battle to save
our daughter’s life. No amount is too small.
“We need the prayers of everyone. Please help us and
our daughter and the Almighty God will surely meet you at
the point of every need”, said the girl’s father.
Mr Garuba, an indigene of Edo State, told Daily Sun that he
has since sent out SOS to governors Lukcy Igbinedion and Peter
Odili of Edo and Rivers states respectively as well as Justice
Mary Odili and the chairman of his native Etsako East Local
Government Area. So far, no word has come from any of these
people and time is fast running out.
The embattled applicant appealed to willing donors to contact
him on GSM 08032719550 or pay their life-saving donations
to his Savings Account No 5142000004095 with the Union Bank
Plc.
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