WITH
much expectation, the world is waiting to see OkikiJesu Olawuyi grab a
fitting place in the Guinness Book of World Records. Many across the
world want to see this happen. And what that means is that a Nigerian
child is well on her way to making history once she scales the mountain
of surgeries standing in her path of life.OkikiJesu Olawuyi was born
without a skull but not without a will to live. Bones from her hands are
being obtained to construct a skull bone to help her live. Amazingly,
she is winning this battle for her life at John Hopkins University in
the United States of America.
First grade surgeons
There, the
best hands the world can assemble are with her every passing hour
fighting a medical war to give life to a miracle child who has
announced to the entire human community that she has something
different to offer. First grade surgeons – irrespective of colour, race
and tongue are tasking their expertise to see that this wonder of the
21st century lives to tell her story and reports say that they are
doing a great job to save her.
OkikiJesu is getting moral and
material support from across the world to help her live. An avalanche
of support is coming her way. Her parents are carrying the burden of
pain and anguish with stoic patience. They are fighting to remedy a
medical case they cannot tell how it all started. The child needs a lot
more financial assistance to pull through, her father, Mr. Caleb
Olawuyi, says. He disclosed that she needed an additional $500,000 to
undergo the final operation that would enable her live a normal life.
Experts say that is possible and they can achieve that. While appealing
for generous support from government, corporate organizations and
private individuals to help the baby live, Mr. Olawuyi, has equally
urged government to set up funds to assist babies afflicted with
critical ailments. Speaking straight from the heart, he noted that one
needed to be close to a child in pains to know how it feels.
Since
news of the child's medical condition was disclosed, the world has been
aghast. She was born on May 11, 2010 with a rare birth deformity which
means over 50 per cent of her skull doesn't exist. The world has not
seen anything of this stuff as this medical condition has never been
reported anywhere. The child's condition is one that appears to have
turned medicine on its head, having thrown up tremendous professional
challenge to the human race. Now, the very best the world has known are
fighting a crunchy battle to overcome this, leaving many – particularly
those with hearts of stone- wondering if there is nothing they can offer
to help.
Now from the home sector, help is coming for
three-year-old Okiki and her parents. Since the condition of the baby
became public knowledge, a non profit organization had stepped in to
assist. Global Initiative for Peace, Love and Care (GIPLC) has been
doing all it can to give life to the child whose medical condition is
not traceable to her parents. With the assistance of the organization's
Coordinator and Project Manager, Mr. Nuhu Kwajafa, the child and her
parents were on May 4, 2013, flown to the United States. There, she is
currently undergoing skull reconstruction surgery at the John Hopkins
University Medical Centre.
Specialists in the USA have identified
the rare birth deformity which OkikiJesu is suffering as Congenital
Cranial Deficiency. Before now, she had been to several hospitals but
not cured, but luck flashed on her pathway when GIPLC, which is based in
Abuja took up her case.
Significant success
The organization,
it was learnt, has recorded significant success in efforts to get
medical care for her. Within just a week, it raised about $234,000, an
equivalent of N37 million through kind gestures from individuals and
groups for her treatment at John Hopkins Hospital.
Kwajafa, just
back from the United States, said: "prior to the complications which
arose, what made a determination of the full cost of Okiki's surgery
difficult is that in modern times, it is an extremely rare (perhaps
singular) medical condition with no precedence to draw estimates from.
This latter fact also means that it is equally difficult to tell what
other medical complications may arise. An example are fluids that were
retained in her cranial cavity which have posed an unforeseen challenge
and may have led to a fatal infection."
His worry is that
"OkikiJesu may not be released from hospital until all outstanding bills
have been paid. We and her parents are desirous of her condition being
fully remedied before she leaves the hospital." Against this backdrop,
he said "We would like to appeal to the global public to support our
cause in ensuring that OkikiJesu Olawuyi lives."
Medical analysts
believe she will be a living testimony if she recovers. According to
GIPLC, her case remains the only one of its kind in the world.
When
OkikiJesu's father, Mr. Olawuyi spoke on telephone from John Hopkins
Hospital, he expressed optimism that the girl was doing well and had
remained in stable condition. He said "We thank God that she is
responding positively to every operation performed on her. The doctors
attending to her are also pleased with her present condition. They said
she is a miracle child,because she is so far the only child in the
world with this kind of health condition. They told us that there is no
case of her type in medical history at their disposal the world over.
There are three renowned doctors attending to OkikiJesu and the
experience is so great. They keep assuring us that everything will be
fine soon. We are also hoping positively and asking God to deliver our
child.
"The major issue is the hospital bill and not really our
up-keep, that is, myself, my wife and our 15-month old baby, (Okiki's
younger sister). She is currently at the intensive care unit (ICU). This
costs between $6,000 and $10,000 daily.
Critical operations
Sometimes,
two nurses are stationed to take care of her daily and it costs a lot
of money. The good thing is that they are not taking any chance. They
are all over her all the time. They are monitoring her regularly
especially as she is an international patient. The bill is growing
higher.
"We appeal to Nigerians not to give up on Okiki. With
their support, God will not disappoint us because she keeps improving
daily. All the operations have been very critical. They took bones from
her hand and leg to construct her skull. And she is doing fine. We
appreciate efforts by all Nigerians including individuals, groups and
corporate organizations. Everybody has been very supportive. We thank
the Nigerian government, the National Assembly, and particularly the
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal and other
kind-hearted people and members of our family for their support.
"On
behalf of our daughter Okiki, and other children and parents in this
condition, we urge government to institute a Special Trust Fund to take
care of such rare and critical cases in the country. This fund should be
adequately funded to cater for such critical needs. For us, Okiki's
parents, we are in this condition but hope that one day God will deliver
us. In this situation, we repeat our appeal for quick intervention from
the government and other Nigerians. Our wish here is that others should
be spared this experience. We plead further with government to
establish a fund to cater for such children in this condition.
