New Telegraph

Onyinyechi: Dumped for having hernia, VVF, seeks help

Onyinyechi Ogadimma has been in the valley of death for nine years following series of ailments, including colostomy, hernia and Vasico Vaginal Fistula(VVF). She has been passing through hell after giving birth to a baby who later died. Her abandonment by her husband and relatives and lack of money to continue various surgeries recommended for her by doctors, have added to her agonies, as UCHENNA INYA, in Abakaliki, reports

Onyinyechi Ogadimma is from Owerri, Imo State. She got married to her husband in 2011. She was hale and hearty before she got married. She took in but when it was time to put to bed, it was war. She had obstructed labour and Doctors and Nurses forced her baby out of her womb. She became sick and developed VVF and colostomy. A colostomy is an opening in the large intestine, or the surgical procedure that creates one.

The opening is formed by drawing the healthy end of the colon through an incision in the anterior abdominal wall and suturing it into place. Onyinye went for surgeries because of the colostomy and her intestine which pulled out of her tummy/stomach was pushed in. After the colostomy surgeries, she developed hernia at the two sides of the stomach. A look at her will make one feels that Onyinye is pregnant but when she raises the clothes she puts on, you will shed tears for her.

She has gone to almost all the major hospitals in her Imo State for solution to her serious health issues to no avail. At FMC Owerri, she spent about N1million as hospital bill apart from the money she used and procured all the drugs the Doctors recommended for her. The Doctors after treating her the much they could, referred her to more major hospitals within Imo and outside the state for more surgeries.

But no one is asking her how she feels, let alone supporting her financially to undergo the surgeries and remain alive. Her husband has already dumped her, married another wife, while her relatives who have been supporting her are no longer doing so, apparently because of lack of money to continue the support or the belief that Onyinye will not survive the ailments. Onyinye was at the National Obstetric Fistula Centre(NOFIC), Abakaliki, Ebonyi to undergo VVF surgeries but the Doctors and Nurses told her they can’t handle her matter, that her case was very serious.

The lady, who is always smiling despite her terrible condition, became disappointed, especially, seeing about 100 women who have same VVF cases repaired successfully and undergoing training for their rehabilitations. While her colleagues at the NOFIC, Abakaliki were undergoing the training for the rehabilitation, Onyinye was not interested because she did not succeed in being repaired. She was wandering within the hospital, looking very disappointed. Our correspondent spotted her and approached her, where she was sharing her ugly life experiences as a result of her sickness to one of her colleagues, who was repaired.

After having the interaction with the colleague, our correspondent pleaded with her to speak to him but she refused. She told the correspondent that she hates anything about a man and that she has resolved not to do anything in life with any man. She said she longer needed any man to come close to her; that man is very wicked and full of disappointment, having been dumped by a man when he should show her love in her predicaments.

Onyinye maintained that it was because of man that she found herself in her present condition and lamented that she wouldn’t have been in the condition if she had not married a man. She immediately walked out on our correspondent. The correspondent trailed her to another cornershe went and stayed and started convincing her on the need to speak up on her condition.

After over 1 hour pleading, she decided to open up and pleaded that her face should not be shown in the publication. She took the correspondent to a silent place in the hospital where she narrated her ordeal. But while going to the silent/ quite place for the interview, one of the staff of the hospital, who is from Imo State and who was watching her speaking with our correspondent, called her inside her office and had interaction with Onyinyechi for about 20 minutes.

The staff, who is the HOD of Social Department of the NOFIC, later called the correspondent inside her office after speaking with Onyinyechi. She asked our correspondent his interest in the lady’s condition and after the journalist’s explanation which she liked, she gave the correspondent a marching order for the interview.

Onyinyechi then opened up and it was a tale of sorrow. She lamented how she was treated in her marriage by being dumped by her husband because of her aliments when she needed love most. She said she needs over N500,000 for the remaining surgeries Doctors said she should undergo and that she is handicapped because nobody is assisting her.

Her words: “I married in 2011 and since that time, I have been in series of health problems. I started having the problem when I was in labour. I have been moving from hospital to hospital across the country because of this my health problems. “I went into labour in Holy Rosary Emekuku and I was referred to FMC, Owerri. So, when the baby was trying to come out from my womb, they used something and brought the baby out. In the process of bringing the baby out, they damaged everything in my private parts and I developed Vesico Vagina Fistula(VVF). Since that nine years, I have moving from one hospital to the other for repair but to no avail.

“Since then, I have done more than 10 surgeries and I am still on the health problems till now. I had colostomy, that is, defecating through the tummy. It was just last year that it was reversed to normal place but I am still leaking urine. “In the process of the surgery because of the colostomy I had, I developed what they call Inguinal hernia. It is another surgery that they want to perform on me. I was referred to overseas for the surgery but no money to do it and my relatives that have been helping me said they are all tired.

I was doing business before and the business has folded. “Here in National Obstetric Fistula Centre Abakaliki(NOFIC) where I was referred to for VVF repair, they have told me that they can’t handle my problem and they referred me to a hospital in Jos, Plateau State for more surgeries but I don’t have money. My people who have been assisting me are now broke; they have spent a lot and they are tired. I am begging governments at all levels, public spirited individuals, corporate bodies, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO) to support me with whatever token so that I will be myself again and become a human being. “I thank God for keeping me alive. I have passed through hell and He has been faithful to me. Last year, when they did colostomy surgery, I was in FMC Owerri for eight good months.

They did three major surgeries on me that last year with the colostomy surgery and I was later on Intensive Care Unit(ICU). In the process of the surgeries, a bone broke on my hand. “I am now like a physically challenged because of this my health problems and I was not born like this. I have this leg problem after delivering my baby that resulted in this VVF I am passing through. Doctors at the Physiotherapy unit of FMC Owerri have been managing it since that nine years but no results. I came down to this NOFIC Abakaliki and Doctors and Nurses continued from where the FMC stopped.

Yet, my legs is not okay. “I called one of the Doctors in this NOFIC Abakaliki and asked him what can be done for my legs to be the way it was. The Doctor told me the legs may not be okay, that the legs may be the way they are forever or may be okay. Doctors said the veins in the legs have twisted; they have become very weak. I need serious prayers, so that God will deliver me in all these problems. I need prayers for money to come out to enable me undergo all these surgeries they said I should do. I am very handicapped.

“In all these, God kept me alive and that is why I am always happy despite my terrible condition. There are many people who had this type of problem I am having but they all died, they didn’t survive. Since November 5, 2011, I went to FMC Owerri where they brought out the baby from my womb and I was discharged, my husband left me and married another wife. I became object of ridicule to my husband and my mother in law because of my health condition and he abandoned me and married another woman. He has married another wife and they have children. My husband no longer asks of me. I have left everything to God who rewards”.

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