Mr Isiaka Yusuf, 54, whose child, Kehinde, was diagnosed with hydrocephalus (water in the head), has expressed gratitude to Nigerians for their efforts to save his son’s life. He also lauded the staff and management of The Sun Publishing Limited for bringing the boy’s pathetic fate to public space.
But the family is still in need of help. The father said Kehinde needs N377, 000 to recover fully from the strange ailment.
Kehinde Yusuf, whose twin brother is hale and hearty, was about six months old sometime in March 2010 when he suddenly had high temperature. He was taken to the Ado-Awaye, General Hospital, Ado-Awaye in Iseyin Local Government Area of Oyo State. It was gathered that the then Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the hospital passed a drip via his head in a bid to treat him. Soon after, Kehinde’s head started growing bigger than his entire body. He could neither sit nor walk, and he could not hold his head in place.
The boy was later diagnosed with hydrocephalus, also known as water in the head.
Hydrocephalus is an increase of cerebrospinal fluid around the brain, resulting in an enlargement of the head in infants, because the bones of the skull are still unfused. Experts said the fluid is blocked by a congenital condition or a disease, and can be drained into the abdominal cavity.
said the boy’s father: “We started visiting private and trado-medical hospitals to treat him, since the CMD refused to refer us anywhere. He only advised us to be giving him multi-vitamins syrup then. However on getting to the tenth hospital – Awojobi trado-medical hospital, the Chief Medical Director (CMD) then, Dr. Awojobi of blessed memory quickly referred us to the University College Hospital (UCH) on June 15, 2011. He was operated upon, but the operation was confirmed to have blocked and we have to pay another money for another surgery again at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Ilorin, Kwara State when UCH workers went on strike. We were then referred back to the UCH for his physiotherapy to enable him sit and walk.”
Mr Yusuf expressed appreciation to Nigerians for donating millions of naira for the boy’s treatment. “In all, your donations have made all these possible because Kehinde can now talk, eat and his head can now stand on its own unlike, before,” he noted.
But he said the boy is still in need of help. “He still has seizures at regular intervals and he is yet to sit or walk. His mother can no longer work because she must always be by his side. The cost of these, added to his kits and special chair that he is yet to be given, is said to cost about N377, 000. His doctors say the treatment must be carried out within a week, so that the improvement made so far will not be retarded.” He is pleading with Nigerians not to abandon the family at this stage.
He said the family could be reached at the UCH Physiotherapy Department or on 08050447490.
His Account number at Polaris Bank is 1031284723, while the account name is Kehinde Abdur Raheem Yusuf.