By Chioma Obinna

The mother of Jeremiah Simeon, Mrs Olorunda Precious, is seeking financial assistance to save her three-year-old son, who has been diagnosed with Tetralogy of Fallot, (TOF) a heart defect.

Simeon, who was referred to Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital, had a history of frequent squatting and bluish discolouration of the body, after which investigations revealed he had TOF.

According experts at the Mayo Clinic, TOF is a rare congenital heart defect.  A baby born with the condition has four different heart problems.

These heart problems affect the structure of the heart. The condition causes altered blood flow through the heart and to the rest of the body.

Children with Tetralogy of Fallot often have blue or grey skin colour due to low oxygen levels.

As a result of frequent episodes of breathlessness and bluish discolouration, urgent surgery is required to repair the TOF and improve blood supply to Simeon’s lungs.

Simeon’s mother, a small time trader, approached Gifting Volunteer Network after expending all her income on seeking succour, frequent drug purchases, and hospital bills for her son.

Explaining her ordeal, she said, “Taking care of Simeon coupled with feeding has become challenging, which is why I have reached out to the Gifting Volunteer Network to assist me in saving my boy.”

In Nigeria, lower-income individuals, in particular, encounter obstacles in accessing medical care, leading to compromised health outcomes.

Not only that, being able to afford quality healthcare, not to mention surgeries such as that of Simeon, has become a burden too great to bear.

It is now common for families to resort to external help when they can no longer afford what is required to save their loved ones.

To give Simeon a chance at good health, urgent surgery is required, and the estimated cost of the procedure and the investigations is N5 million.

If Simon’s story touches you and you wish to assist, please send your financial support to: Account number: 0946368847, Account Name: Jeremiah Oshone Simeon, GT Bank.