By Gabriel Olawale

A single mother of two, Ms. Anson Vivan has appealed to the general public to assist in preventing her daughter, Geoffrey Stephanie from being paralysed.

According to medical doctors in an orthopedic hospital in Lagos, Stephanie is suffering from scoliosis and has got to the last stage and if nothing is done within six months, she would be paralysed.

A recent x-ray showed that the bone in her hips  can no longer support her and she requires urgent surgery.

Vivian said her daughter’s predicament started 7 years ago when she observed that the girl was unable to stand properly.

Vivian who spoke to Good Health Weekly in tears said she and Stephanie have been to several hospitals in the hope of salvaging the situation but all efforts have  proved abortive. At the end of it all, she was advised to fly Stephanie abroad for surgery.

“When I noticed that my daughter could not stand properly, I called her attention to the fact that she was bending but she insisted that she was standing straight. I told her to remove her clothes because she was going to school that morning.

“When she removed her school uniform, I noticed that her back was bent. I was afraid, so I called a doctor friend who suggested that we should bring her to the hospital at Ikotun where they advised us that she should go for x-ray to ascertain her condition.”

Vivian said after the x-ray Stephanie was referred to Sunbo Hospital where it was stated that her condition was a result of the school bag that she had been carrying on her back, “They said the condition affects many children of her age. Since then we have taken several steps to salvage the situation but our efforts have not not yielded desirable results.

“Recently, we noticed that she could not walk properly again. At night, she will be crying complaining of leg pains and won’t be able to move. The situation has prevented her from doing anything anymore.”

Vivian said that when they approached the orthopedic hospital recently, they were told that Stephanie was suffering from scoliosis and that it had  got to the last stage that if nothing was done within the next six months she might be paralysed.

“During the recent x-ray, it was observed that the bone in her hips could no longer support her. They told us that her condition is very bad now that she needed to undergo surgery urgently. “

Vivian who could not hold back  tears appealed to Nigerians, corporate organisations and government for aid.

She said she was advised to undergo the surgery in India where they are medical experts for  scoliosis at a cheaper cost.

A statement made available by the Founder of Contactcure Healthcare Services Pvt Limited, Abhishek Shakya put the cost of the surgery in India at N10 million.

The statement reads: “After a thorough discussion of your case based on the information shared with Dr. Sudhir Dubey, following tentative treatment plan along with indicative financial implications has been provided based on the shared reports.

“To undergo scoliosis correction surgery at Medicity Hospital in India plus other expenses such as flight, accommodation, feeding, will cost $21,000. Kindly note that contactcure does not charge any fees from the international patient for their services. “

If you are touched by Stephanie’s plight, kindly send your donations to Anson Vivan, Eco Bank 3001012815 or contact 09032351339.

VANGUARD NEWS NIGERIA