Cries father of 11 yr old girl down with kidney ailment
BY BENJAMIN NJOKU
For Mr. Anthony Uche, a petty trader at Oduade market, in Orile area of Lagos, his dream of ensuring that his daughter, Cynthia, lives a fulfilled life and later be of assistance to her parents and young siblings is gradually becoming a mirage except a miracle happens.

The 11 year-old, JSS 1 student of Osimoye Memorial Nursing, Primary and Secondary, Ijesha-Tedo, Surulere, is down with a kidney related ailment, and may lose the battle if nothing is being done urgently to save her.

At the moment, Cynthia’s two kidneys have packed up, and her doctors at the University of Lagos Teaching Hospital(LUTH) say the only cure for her condition is a kidney transplant.

In a letter made available to Saturday Vanguard, and signed by Consultant Paediatrician at LUTH, Dr. Ladipo Taiwo .A., poor Cynthia needs the sum of N7.5 million to undergo a kidney transplant in India as soon as possible.

According to the letter, “the patient is currently on admission in our hospital as a case of chronic renal failure. This means that at present, her kidneys are barely functional. For this, she has been commenced on hemodialysis to assist kidney function which is however only a temporary measure. The only cure to this condition is a kidney transplant.”

Cynthia and her Dad, Mr. Anthony Uche

“The estimated cost of a kidney transplant, including her drugs for one year after the transplant is about N7.5 million,” the letter further reads.

Meanwhile, narrating how his daughter’s ordeal started, Uche said Cynthia’s condition changed some three months ago, when she started feeling pains in her stomach, along with different types of ailments. On rushing her to LUTH, she was diagnosed of suffering from chronic renal failure.

“I need good-spirited Nigerians to help save my daughter from dying. I am a native of Alo, in Anambra State, but I live in Ijesha-tedo, in Surulere. I am a petty trader at Oduade market in Orile. My daughter’s sickness has turned into a beggar, and I don’t want her to die. I’m begging Nigerians and all people of goodwill to help me. I’m begging Anambra State governor, Mr. Peter Obi, President Goodluck Jonathan and his wife to come to my aid,” he said.

A father of four, Uche says he is ready to donate his own kidney as well as his wife in order to save their daughter’s life. Currently, poor Cynthia is undergoing dialysis, and each session of it costs about N25,000. “ She undergoes dialysis about three times in a week to assist kidney function. Initially, when I could no longer afford to pay for her dialysis, members of my Catholic church group, from my native town, helped to raise some money for me to foot the bills,” he went on.

Uche said before Cynthia’s ordeal started, he had a noble dream of training her up to the university level despite the odds. “I want her to become a doctor, live a fulfilled life and later be of help to the family in future. But now, all these dreams will become a mirage with her present state of health.”

According to him, Cynthia has been on admission for close to three months now. She is going through pains and needs urgent solution to save her from dying.

“Her stomach, cheeks and legs are swollen as a result of the sickness. If I can’t raise the required amount of money for the transplanting, it means that my daughter will die. And I don’t want her to die,” he added.

“Well meaning Nigerians can reach us at 08023845711 or put their help in our account No 1050805152, Skye Bank, Tony Uche. God will reward anybody that comes to our help. He never forsake them.”