Lekan Yusuff’s mother and uncle came to the
Nigerian Tribune office to request the media’s help
in reaching out to tits readers in soliciting for funds
for the kidney transplant of their son, it was a last
thing they ever imagined they would have to do.
First, they never thought that the life of their son
would be hanging in the balance, waiting to be saved
by the kind support of the Nigerian public; and
second, they never anticipated that their child would
be so sick that he would require a surgery, if at all
one would be required, definitely not a kidney
transplant. But here they were, soliciting for over N5
million to save their son’s life.
Lekan Yusuf, an Ibadan-born, is a 15-year-old
brilliant young boy in SS 3, who has a kidney
disease. He was, as a matter of fact, preparing for
the WAEC mock exams at Loyola College, Ibadan
when it was discovered that he had a kidney disease.
According to his mother, Alhaja Romoke Yusuff, on
Friday, February 1, 2013, Yusuff was on his way to
school for WAEC mock examinations when she
noticed that his eyes were swollen. On examination,
she felt uncomfortable sending him to school and
therefore asked that he should be taken to a private
hospital close by for examinations. It was confirmed
that his PCV was okay and that he was well and as
such was sent back home. But during the weekend,
the mother made the resolve to take her only son to
the University College Hospital (UCH) for further
checks on Monday, seeing that his face had got a lot
more swollen than the previous day.
On getting to the UCH, after series of tests, it was
discovered that the young man was suffering from
an advanced stage of renal failure. In a letter written
and signed by Consultant Paediatric Nephrologist, Dr
A.O Asinobi on March 14, 2013 and made available
to the Nigerian Tribune, it was written that “15-year-
old Master Olalekan Yusuff with Hospital Number
955293 is the only son of his parents and has been
diagnosed with chronicle kidney disease in end stage
kidney failure. He needs to have a kidney transplant
which is presently not possible in Nigeria. They
kidney transplant is expected to cost a minimum of
five million naira. He is also required to be on
regular haemodialysis to stay alive before the
transplantation takes place.” The consultant signed
off that, “your kind and gracious donation to the
child’s bid to have a sustenance haemodialysis and
kidney transplant will be a gift of life for Master
Olalekan.”
Medical experts have said that acute renal failure
(also called acute kidney injury) means that an
individual’s, in this case, Yusuff’s kidneys camera,
had suddenly stopped working. The kidneys remove
waste products and help balance water and salt and
other minerals (electrolytes) in the blood but when
they stop working, waste products, fluids, and
electrolytes build up in the body, causing problems
that can be deadly, the experts said. This condition,
they said, can be caused by a sudden blockage that
stops urine from flowing out of the kidneys, among
others.
A visit by the Nigerian Tribune to the South East 2 of
the UCH, where Yusuff is currently a patient, last
Friday revealed that Yusuff, who was supposed to
have had an haemodialysis scheduled for the day
before could not do so due to lack of funds. He was
later rescheduled for another, after a kind donation
of N20,000. The haemodialysis was the eleventh that
Yusuff would be receiving in the course of eight
weeks. Yusuff has been scheduled for three dialysis
per week with each and other medical bills costing
as much as N20, 000 per session.
The visibly worried mother, who lamented to the
Nigerian Tribune, said the family has no strength to
back the growing financial burden of seeing to
Yusuff’s ailment as all their live savings have been
pulled to ensure that their son stayed alive up unto
this moment. The mother, who is in the clothes
selling business, has had to sell off her business to
raise funds for her son’s medical bill. Same as the
father, who had also sold off his block making
business. Yet, it was not enough.
“Our relatives and friends have rallied round to give
us money, apart from the ones we had also been able
to pull together, yet we don’t have enough. This is
why we are calling on well-meaning Nigerians to
help us. Lekan has dreams, big dreams ahead of him
and he most definitely wants to live to fulfill these
dreams. He is young and resilient, even in the face of
three dialysis per week; he still maintains his
optimism that all will be well.
This week, the doctors gave a verdict, he needs
kidney transplant to live as the dialysis won’t just cut
it anymore. Lekan has had 11 dialysis so far and
each one has cost more than N20,000; plus other
medications and hospital bills.
“We have spent our life savings, sold our businesses
and we are still unable to raise the N5million needed
to fly him abroad for the transplant.
Doctors have told us that we will need more than N5
million for other running expense and this is why we
are calling on the state governments, most especially
the Oyo State government, the wife of Oyo State
governor, Mrs Florence Ajimobi, to look kindly upon
us to help save our only son,” the mother said amid
tears.
Doctors have assured that Yusuff will live, if only the
transplant can be done as soon as possible. “Lekan is
the only son of his parents. Help them help their
son’s life. It will be a waste if this brilliant chap dies.
The world needs him, was what one of the teachers
at Yusuff’s school said when Nigerian Tribune paid a
visit to the school.
Well-meaning Nigerians who wish to help can do so
by donating to 0029724419. Yidiat Romoke Yusuff.
Access Bank or drop it at any Nigerian Tribune office
nearest to them. They could also reach out to Yusuff’s
family on: 08134691668 and 08077764894.

Source: tribune.com.ng/news2013/index.php/en/component/k2/item/8751-mother-of-15-yr-old-needing-kidney-transplant-pleads