By Chinenye Ezenwa and Ngozi Nwabuisi

In the past two years, life, for the family of Mr. Emmanuel Osadolor, has not been a rosy affair.

Since the birth of his daughter, Victoria, the family has been undergoing tremendous trauma. The little girl has been facing serious health challenges, which have left the family in penury.

At two, Victoria cannot walk, and she suffers from breathing inconsistency. The ill health has seen her parents taking her to various hospitals across the country in search of cure, all to no avail. Right now, Victoria requires urgent surgery to enable her to stay alive.

Narrating what he described as a painful experience since his daughter was born, Osadolor said when the family noticed that she couldn’t breathe well at birth, it was assumed it was an episode that would pass. He noted that months later, her condition deteriorated.

“Two months after she was born, we discovered she was having great difficulty breathing. We thought there was an obstruction in her throat and so, took her to the General Hospital in Ikare-Akoko, Ondo State. From there, we were referred to the Federal Medical Centre, Ado Ekiti, and subsequently, to the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital, IIe-Ife, Osun State, where she was diagnosed with a hole in the heart. We were told by the doctors that my daughter needs to be operated upon urgently and that her chance of survival depends on how soon the surgery was done,” he said.

According to a letter from Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital and signed by the Associate Professor of Paediatrics and Child Health, Dr. John Okeniyi, Victoria was diagnosed with a major congenital heart disease and requires urgent medical intervention. The letter further stated that she needs the sum of two million naira.

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“Her ailment is specifically Ventricular Septal defect, which consists of a hole in the heart and which has caused her to be chronically ill. She will tremendously benefit from a major open-heart surgery, which has been scheduled in our hospital for the month of September 2017, at a tentative cost of two million naira.

“This is by far cheaper than if they have to travel abroad. So, I am in full support of them soliciting assistance to help raise the much and urgently needed funds,” the letter read.

On how much has been raised so far for the surgery, Victoria’s father said through the help of friends and family members, he raised the sum of N500, 000, and has already deposited the money with the hospital.

The distraught father appealed to well-meaning individuals and organisations to help save his daughter from premature death.

“We still need to come up with all the required two million naira for them to commence the surgery. She is currently on medication to stabilize her. There was a time she had heart failure and was placed on oxygen but thank God she was able to recover. Last month, the doctor told us we need to quickly raise the money for the surgery to save her life,” the distressed father lamented.

Donations to save the life of little Victoria can be paid into this account  –  Emmanuel Victoria Oluwadarasimi, First Bank Plc – 3116524804. Her father can also be contacted on this number – 08136128305.