Battling for Recovery from Lower Limb Deformities’ Surgery
• Seeks N1.5m support, grateful to Nigerians for their assistance so far
Miss Ijachi Blessing Maria, the 18-year old girl with severe bowing of both limbs, who recently underwent a surgery at the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Igbobi, Lagos, in the bid to correct it, has again appealed to Nigerians to urgently come to her aid to ensure that she fully recovers and becomes fit for a normal life again.
Blessing, who is in bed for the third month running, recuperating from the surgery and is scheduled to be in that state for eight months or more, before she becomes fully okay, is almost now unable to fund her treatment expenses, having exhausted the over N2million raised for her for the surgery. She thanked Nigerians for their support so far, pleading for another N1.5million support to fully meet up with the treatment.
“I am billed to remain in bed for eight months or more, undergoing treatment, I am just three month here now after the operation on my second leg in September 2019, they had the first operation on the first leg in August. I have exhausted over N2.1million the media raised for me for the surgery, I see the doctor every fortnight and undergo series of tests- x-rays and all sorts, the main cost of the operation itself was about N1.3million and I am still here, continuing with all of these processes, Nigerians have deeply supported me but I appeal for more support, I need another N1.5million to see me through my bills, my treatment, my medications, tests, x-rays and so forth, I appeal to Nigerians to again come to my aid, my account details remain: John Blessing
Maria, GT Bank Account No. 0468466784. Nigerians should please donate and make this money available to me to be able to complete my treatment, I can’t afford not to continue and get fully through with it to get off the ground, halting the treatment at this stage because there is no money for me to continue would be most terrible, only God know if I will survive it,” Blessing told THISDAY, laying on her back on a foam on the floor in her house in Mafoluku, Oshodi, Lagos, irons stacked deep into the knee regions of her limbs.
THISDAY first published her ordeal on July 3, 2019, reporting her as seeking N2.5 million for the correction of her lower limb deformities at the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Igbobi, Lagos.
Blessing had experienced a 12-year unabating harsh pains from severe bowing of both limbs and dropped out of school in the Senior Secondary School (SSS) Form 1 in 2016 from the excruciating pains, which made it impossible for her to walk to and fro anymore from school.
She started having problems with her legs from age two and half and was taken to the General Hospital, Ikeja, from where she was referred to the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Igbobi, Lagos.
“Igbobi prescribed a surgery for me at that age, my dad was required to donate blood for me for the operation but he became sick at the time and died. We couldn’t raise the money for the surgery after my dad’s death, so, it became impossible for us to go back to Igbobi for the operation,” Blessing said the mother told her of the beginning of what had threatened to completely deform and made her life useless.
She managed to go through elementary school and then Junior Secondary School (JSS) at the Ikeja Junior Secondary School, Oshodi, Lagos. But with the pains and level of deformity worsening as she grew older, it became impossible for her to walk to school daily, sit all through in the class and walk back home.
Described by her teachers as exceptionally brilliant, Blessing painfully dropped out of school in Form 1 at the Ikeja Senior Secondary
School in 2016.
“It was a very painful end to the education of a most academically promising child,” one of her teachers then, remarked of Blessing, who remains committed to returning to school once she fully recovers and certified okay.
The hope-raising medical report for Blessing signed by Dr. Izuagba Emeka B., Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon, Padiatric Orthopaedics and Limb Reconstruction Unit, NOHIL, dated March 26, 2019 and entitled: Re: Medical Report on Ijachi Blessing Maria/ Female/17years, Hospital No. 639273, reads: “The Above named patient of our hospital was first seen on 17/09/2018 with complaints of severe bowing of both limbs of 12years duration. There is associated knee pains, difficulty in walking or running.
“She initially presented to the hospital 7 years ago for treatment but defaulted as she could not afford the cost of the required surgery. The deformities have since progressively worsened up to the present state.
“On presentation, she was thoroughly re-examined and a diagnosis of severe Bilateral Infantile Blounts disease to rule out skeletal dysplasia was made following clinical assessment and X-ray imaging studies.
“She requires a surgical treatment of gradual correction of lower limb deformities, using Ring Fixator/Taylor Spatial Frame due to the grotesque nature of the deformities.
“A surgical assessment has already been given to her detailing the cost estimates required for the surgery.”