New Telegraph

Blood cancer: 11-year-old boy needs financial help to live

An 11-year-old boy, Wonderful Chidibem, suffering from blood cancer, known as Hodgkin’s lymphoma, is in coma and needs financial assistance to live. His mother, Mrs. Florence Chiamaka Chidibem, a widow, has called on the government and good-spirited Nigerians to save Wonderful’s life.

 

The 43-year-old mother of four five disclosed that since her son’s ailment started in September 2020, she had spent over N2 million on his treatment, all to no avail. According to her, doctors have advised that the boy be taken to a hospital in Italy for further treatment.

 

The distraught mother, a teacher in a private secondary school in Benin, was at the Edo State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Secretariat last weekend to  solicit financial help from Nigerians.

 

She disclosed that she had sold off all she had to finance the treatment of her son, Wonderful, the last of the five children of three girls and two boys. Chidibem, who lost her husband in 2009, was given a letter by the authorities of the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), attesting to the fact that she is in dire need of financial assistance for the treatment of her son.

 

The letter entitled: “Re- Chidubem Wonderful, M/11 Years”, and endorsed by Dr. Y. T. Israel-Aina, a Paediatric Oncologist, and Professor C. Omuemu, Chairman, Medical Advisory Committee (MAC) and Director, Clinical Services and Training, both of UBTH, described Wonderful’s ailment as “Hodgkin’s lymphoma”.

 

The letter reads: “The above-named is an 11-yearold boy who is managed for Hodgkin’s lymphoma. He presented six weeks ago with complaints of Hodgkin’s lymphoma, which is blood cancer.

 

“The investigations done confirmed that he has the disease. He has been on chemotherapy and has had several blood transfusions and other supportive medications. Currently, he needs to continue chemotherapy and may need other treatment like radiotherapy for cure of his disease.

 

The mother has spent a lot of money for his treatment so far. She requires further financial help to support his treatment as chemotherapy drugs are quite expensive and radiotherapy is even more expensive.

 

The mother will like to use this medium to solicit for financial help for her child. Kindly accord her the necessary    help in raising funds for this child’s treatment.”

 

Chidibem, who hails from Imo State, said: “Wonderful is the last born. In September 2020, he complained of stomach ache and I first took him to a hospital that is close to the house and I was asked to take him to UBTH.

 

He has been in UBTH since January 2021 and I have spent more than N2 million. I have sold off everything I have because his father, my husband, died in 2009. He is presently on oxygen at the hospital.”

 

According to her, the consultant in charge of Wonderful’s treatment advised that the boy be taken to a hospital in Italy. She said: “But they did not tell me how much the hospital in Italy will cost.

 

But another parent who had been to the hospital in Italy said she spent more than N20 million. I have sold off all that I have treating him. The consultant at UBTH told me that

 

if I want my child alive, I should take him to Italy. I want my child to live and that is why I am appealing to good-spirited Nigerians to come to my aid.” Chidibem can be reached on 07060780176. Her account number is 6322558642, Chiamaka Faith Chidibem, Fidelity Bank.

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