JSS2 student seeks N36m for treatment of leukemia
ELEVEN- year- old Anna Ayibanimi Ogbudukian, a junior secondary school student is seeking N36 million to treat acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.
The Guardian learnt that Ayibanimi came down with swelling in the neck region in 2021.
According to her mother, Mrs. Timipre Ogbudukian, when the swelling started last December, they thought it was a minor discomfort, until she was diagnosed in January 2022 with acute ‘ lymphoblastic Leukemia’.
The girl’s future, and her dream to become a doctor, is threatened due to the disease
While lymphoma is a common cancer in children, acute leukaemia is a cancer of the white blood cells.
A medical report by the Paediatric Haemato- oncology department of the Federal Medical Centre, Yenagoa, where she was treated stated that the patient had complaints of neck swelling, fever, difficulty breathing, cough, weight loss and abdominal pain.
Following this, the Federal Medical Centre in Yenagoa referred the child to the University of Benin Teaching Hospital.
“She was admitted at University of Benin Teaching Hospital and was able to complete two circles of chemotherapy out of the five recommended. We spent about three months in the hospital and by mid- May 2022, we were discharged to go home to continue the third chemotherapy but due to financial constraints we could not,” the family lamented.
While requesting timely intervention, her parents Mr. and Mrs. Ogbudukian said they have been managing their daughter at home since they could not provide the fund.
“We have no funds presently. We have borrowed heavily to finance the first two circles. My family can’t even feed,” the disheartened father said.
Mr. Ogbudukian, who is a civil servant, appealed to the public to save his daughter, lamenting that he doesn’t want to lose her to untimely death.
Contacted, the doctor handling her case at FMC, Yenagos, Dr. Anebi Yemisi said: “We referred the girl sometime in February to Benin Teaching Hospital for a more holistic care. The girl was there for some months and was said to have improved. But her parents said they had to leave Benin because they exhausted their funds. However, they have not come back to FMC Yenagoa with the girl for continued care, though I have met the parents twice since their return from Benin.”
When The Guardian reached out to the Consultant Paediatric at University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Dr. Magdalene Odunubun, she confirmed that 11- year- old girl needs urgent attention.
She said: “They were here for treatment, but didn’t have the fund to continue.
“The girl was in remission and she just had to continue the treatment because all the things we treated before, I heard, had come back and we will have to start afresh.”
Donations could be made to the account:
Account Number: 9612977019
Account Name:
March Anna Ayibanimi Bank Name: FCMB.