Date: 2016-11-23

In this report, AHMED 'LATEEF, writes on the deteriorating liver disease threatening the life of an infant, Adeola Amirah Agbaje, and defied all serial medical battles to restore her state of health from the home front until now that she expeditiously needs foreign medical help.

At about 7pm of September 24, 2015, little Adeola Agbaje arrived this world from the covetous womb of her mother and it was greeted with joy and pleasantries.

Incidentally, the day of her birth coincided with the day Muslims the world over celebrated the Eid-el-Kabir festival (the big Islamic festivity). The joy that accompanied her birth was discernible, being the first child of the new couple.

Looking innocent and beautiful, family members, friends, well wishers and admirers visited a private hospital in Ilorin, trying to catch a glimpse of the new born baby, proverbially referred to as "the guest of the world".

As a first gift of their holy matrimony, the joy of the parents knew no bound. Because of the beautiful look of the baby, some family members and friends who besieged the hospital where the baby was born were compelled to ask if the little baby was a Korean.

It was all playful and joyful at both sides of the couple that the labour of the mother did not go in vain while it was also a womb escape for the new baby. In line with work of nature, there have been reported cases of still birth or a woman writhing in agony and pain while in the labour room.

To have escaped all these troubles, exchanging bottles of champagne and other wines as a means of showing gratitude indeed worth it.

On the naming ceremony day, the new baby was christened Adeola while guests at the ceremony feasted on all they served them as part of activities welcoming the child.

As people were still basking in the euphoria of the joy of the first gift of the new couple, little did they know that trouble was lurking around the corner and the joy will be cut short in quick succession.

Shortly after she was christened Adeola on her naming ceremony, the baby's eyes and body started developing some yellowish. The unexpected challenge crept in for the parents, Mr and Mrs Adewale Agabje.

Since then, it has been one day on, one day off in the hospital. The baby was taken to a private hospital where she was treated for infections, after which she would not stop crying day and night.

Apparently agonizing, the little Adeola cried every moment, the wailing that could easily draw attention of passersby. The situation got the parents worried as the baby's debilitating health condition forced them, especially mother to literally turn Emergency Units and Special Wards in the hospitals they have visited to permanent abodes.

It was discovered in the first test carried out on Adeola that her billirinbin level was too high, thereby prompting medical personnel to draw some blood sample from a particular region in her body. But after the sample was taken, blood started gushing out profusely and defied all efforts to dry up.

As the situation persisted, the baby was referred to the Emergency Pediatric Unit of the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital where she was admitted and a surgery called "Kasai" was performed on her.

All along, it has been from one surgery to another while the parents have continued to spend all they have as well as selling landed property to meet the rising medical bill.

It was after series of medical battles to save little Adeola's life that the medical personnel discovered the baby was suffering from liver disease and would require transplanting. For this surgery, the baby has been referred to a hospital in India. And to bring the treatment to fruition, a sum of $33.000 is needed for her medical bill. This excludes other expenses including visa fee, feeding, accommodation and other miscellaneous.

Adeola is currently lying helplessly at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital.

The mother of the baby, Mrs Anuoluwapo Agbaje, who spoke to this newspaper in an emotional laden tone, expressed anguish over the deteriorating condition of health of the infant, saying it has been from one hospital to another since the problem started.

She appealed to philanthropists and well to do Nigerians to assist her family with fund to defray the foreign medical trip as all money available to the family has been spent on the debilitating health challenge.

"We were asked to go to the Harmony Diagnostic Centre for a test where it was discovered that her (billirinbin) level was too high. Meanwhile, the spot the blood sample was taken didn't dry up as she was bleeding profusely.

"When we got the private hospital, the doctor after reading the test result immediately referred us to the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, where my baby was admitted at the Emergency Pediatric Unit. She was admitted for four days. Then, we were informed a surgery called Kasai would need to be performed on her to safe her life.

"To God be the glory, the Kasai surgery, which was done when she was five weeks old, was successful, and the yellowish in her eyes relatively reduced but didn't clear off. We complained to the Surgeons but they said they can't tell us if the operation was corrective or not until after six months.

"Unfortunately, six months after, my baby was still yellow and lean. Then, two months after, her tummy started swelling and consequently the doctor said it was due to ascites, that Adeola will need an urgent liver transplant in India because her liver disease, Billiary Atnesia, has worsened even with Cirrhosis.

"We were given some antibiotics and multi-vitamin, which she was taken until that fateful Friday November 23, 2015, when she started having diarrhoea and then I noticed that she was crying without tears, which I understood could be as a sign of dehydration.

"Then, I took her to a private hospital on Sunday Morning, November 25, 2015, and she was treated and referred to the UITH, but before getting there, she started stretching her body and couldn't breast-feed nor look at me, which got me extremely worried.

"On getting to the Emergency Pediatric Unit, the doctors said she was having seizures and ascites due to her liver problem, which has increased to hectic encephalopathy and suddenly she became unconscious. Since then, she couldn't eat, move her body nor smile, but the doctors are trying their best to stabilize her and get her prepared for the transplant in India.

"The proforma invoice from the Indiaprastha Apollo Hospital, India, shows that the Liver Transplant will cost about $33,000, excluding visa fee, ticket, accommodation for the parents and feeding with subsequent checkups.

"Doctors said the transplant needs to be done by the middle of this month, which means the fund needs to be available by the end of this month, after which the visa application can commence immediately.

"I sincerely express appreciation to those who had supported us, financially, spiritually, emotionally and even medically including the management of the UITH, Radio Kwara, Church friends and family. We also hope for their continuous support till my daughter, Adeola recovers fully from her illness", Mrs Agbaje said.

Donations can be made into this Guarantee Trust Bank account:

Account Name: Anuoluwapo Adelabi-Agbaje
Account Number: 0035256165
Class of Account: Savings

Picture captions Adeola before and now