By Chinenye Ezenwa and Rebecca Koluwabo

Looking at Temitope Apansile, one would think that he is a boisterous child, but he is not. In a short while, he would become uncomfortable, holding onto his diaper as a sign that it had filled up with urine and needed to be changed.

The five-year old not only urinates on his body but also passes through a lot of discomfort to do it. This frequent and uncontrollable urinating is a sign of ill health. His father has been taking him to various hospitals in search of a cure but his efforts have been futile. Temitope needs surgery to stay alive.

At the moment, the boy is out of school; he has long been withdrawn from the rest of his peers because of his condition. His father, Wale Apansile, had to withdraw him from school when his condition worsened.

Wale, a bricklayer, has been taking care of his son after his wife left him two years ago due to their son’s condition. He has also been compelled to move into his mother’s house at Akute, as he could no longer pay his rent.

Recounting the painful ordeal, Wale said his son had a malfunctioning bladder and this made him to urinate uncontrollably. He said Temitope only ate light food like pap and noodles.

“If he eats something hard, it would not digest quickly; rather he would have stomach ache. When he takes drugs, it would not digest; it would be seen from his affected scrotum,” he said.

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Stressing the severity of his son’s condition he said his urine never came out from his penis but dropped uncontrollably form his separated scrota. He said the boy used about seven sanitary pads daily.

Right now, Temitope needs his scrotum stitched for it is swollen due to excessive urine, which drops from it rather than passing through his penis. This has affected his bladder.

“He can tell when he wants to defecate but not when he wants to urinate.

“I stopped him from going to school due to his worsening condition. I have spent everything I have; that is why I had to relocate to my mother’s house in Akute; I have financial constraints. I sometimes go to work with him or I leave him with my mother,” Wale Apansile said.

According to a letter signed by Dr. Alakoko Temitope, consultant in charge of the paediatrics surgery unit, Lagos University Teaching Hospital, the lad was diagnosed with a congenital defect of the lower anterior abdominal wall musculature and bladder known as bladder exstrophy with epispadia complex and this requires urgent medical intervention. The letter further stated that the boy needs N4.5 million for the surgery.

The doctor said, “This condition requires a multiple-staged surgical reconstruction for which he had the first stage repair on the 11th day of life. He will require at least two more staged reconstructions, but the parents have severe financial constraints hence have requested for this medical report to seek support. Kindly accord all necessary assistance.”

Donations to save Temitope’s life can be sent to Apansile Wale, GTBank Plc, Account No. 0237910788. His father can be contacted on 08030688658.