By Chioma Obinna

“Hmmmm, is this how my dream of becoming a nurse will end? Do you think there is hope for me? Take a look at me, do I deserve to die at this age? Why me? How can such an illness visit a person like me who cannot afford to fight back financially? Tears rolled down her cheeks as she managed to utter these heart- rending words.”

These were the unanswered questions posed 23-year-old Doris Ogbonna who is currently battling with a congenital heart disease.

Medical doctors at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) say she requires a total of N1.5 million urgently for a life- saving surgery in Nigeria. But raising this sum has become a nightmare for Doris’s mother, Theresa, and her uncle who brought her to Lagos for a better life.

Doris, the sixth child, is suffering from what medical doctors describe as ‘Large Secundum ASD’. A medical c report on her, noted that she has a very large hole in the heart which its defect reads about 33mm.

Worse still, the date of the supposed surgery at LASUTH has passed without Doris providing the required fee for the much needed life – saving procedure. Further reports showed she has had the problem from birth but it was undetected until early this year. Doris was full of dreams, since she stepped into Lagos since her mother – a farmer in the village – was left alone to care for her and the other five children after the demise of their father. Doris felt that her coming to Lagos at least would reduce the burden on her poor mother, She also thought that her coming to Lagos would finally facilitate her dreams of becoming a nurse to take care of the sick. Unfortunately, today, instead of taking care of the sick as she dreamt of, she is being taken care of, by other nurses.

Just like most Nigerians, Doris had never gone to the hospital for any check up until that fateful morning when she started feeling pains around her chest each time tries to bend down.

Narrating her ordeal to Good Health Weekly, she said, “I never knew it would come to this. I thought it was an ordinary pain and my aunt gave me analgesic. But unfortunately, instead of it subsiding, I began to feel weak and breathe so fast and sometimes very slow. I found it difficult to eat. It was at this point I told my aunty that I may be needing urgent healthcare”.

Doris a native of Mbaise in Imo State says she is now waiting on the Lord and kind- hearted Nigerians to come to her aid as she would not want to throw away her dreams.

“When the pains became persistent, I was taken to Nobel Laboratory, along Okota Road, Isolo, Lagos for a laboratory test where it was discovered that I have a large hole in the heart but the cardiologist however, advised us to go to LASUTH for further medical investigations.

Getting to LASUTH, it was also confirmed that I have a congenital heart disease (hole in the heart) but we were later refereed to Reddington Hospital Victoria Island Lagos, where the results were the same.”

Continuing, Doris expressed worry that the cardiologists handling her case at LASUTH had warned that an emergency comprehensive surgery is inevitable to avoid total damage that could result to a heart failure.

With pains in her voice, she murmured “If Nigerians and the whole world could come to my rescue I believe that when I become a nurse I would be able to help the sick and my survival will also be a credit to the world.”

Appealing to the Imo State Governor, Ikedi Ohakim and the Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola to save her from untimely death, she also begged kind- hearted Nigerians to assist her uncle to raise the money for her to undergo the surgery, which is almost an emergency.

Doris said since she fell ill, her uncle and his wife had invested every kobo on her sickness.

“I know that after surgery I will be needing drugs and further treatments which cost money but we need money for the surgery first. None of my relatives can afford the money. I also appeal to NGO, women organisations and other civil society organisation to come to my aid. I am still young and I am full of dreams”.

She further intimated that out of the sum required, N100, 000 had been deposited. “This surgery would have been done last week, but we were not able to meet up even with the fact that the hospital management promised to waive 50 per cent of the total sum. They even went as far as begging us to provide at least N500, 000. But still cannot provide the money. Please help me to live, I’m begging.”

If you are touched by the plight of Doris call Mr. Julius Okorie on 08062906455 and Florence Okorie on 08034657672 or you can send your donations to Oceanic Bank Account Number 0650001016249.