Kunle ADELABU & Wale JAGUN
-We need to get her into surgery in two weeks – Group
-We will be fully involved in her operation – Council Chairman
Mother of the girl with the two kidney failure problem, Mrs Iyabo Sanni, has once again cried out to the government and general public to save the life of her daughter, Ganiyat, who has a little time to live unless she urgently undergo a kidney transplant.
She made the appeal at a press conference organised by THE IMPACT Group special committee that is championing the #SaveGaniyatSanni campaign which was held at the Conference Room of the Imota Local Council Development Area (LCDA), on Thursday, June 13, 2019.
Imota LCDA Council Chairman, Hon. Wasiu Agoro, political office holders and youth groups were in attendance at the press conference.
The special committee in-charge of the fund raising for Ganiyat’s surgery has also set two weeks ultimatum for her to undergo the surgery.
According to her medical report from Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Ikeja, the kidney transplant is put at N8.5million in Nigeria and $25, 000 abroad .
“The doctor has told us that once the kindey stopped working, it’s death for her and that means we have very little time to raise the fund for the if she must live”, said her distressed mother at the press briefing.
“I cannot be telling her that the doctor told me that she only has little time. I beg you all to please assist me and make her life a good life”, she added.
Mrs Sanni disclosed that her daughter’s ailment started when she was in Junior Secondary II.
She stated that Ganiyat’s sickness has made her sold all her properties and that she has now resorted to begging to fund Ganiyat’s medical treatment.
“Ganiyat’s sickness started while she was in JSS 2. In my quest to to give her life, I had to sell my properties and beg for money on the street to get her medical treatment.
“It was when I lost the capcity to go further that the IMPACT Group came to my rescue. Since then, they have been with the family and even visited us at the hospital where she was initially admitted”.
She appealed to Nigerians to come to her aid in assisting Ganiyat to undergo the surgery in good time and live a good life.
“I appeal to Nigerians to come to my aid and assist me in getting adequate medical treatment for my daughter.
“I appeal to the Governor of Lagos State to assist me so that I will not loose Ganiyat. She has a future and once she’s dead, the future will be dead with her. I am begging the Governor to urgently help us so that this will not happen.
“ I also appeal to President Muhammadu Buhari, Senators and other political office holders as well as well meaning Nigerians to come to my assistance in saving my daughter’s life “.
Mrs Funke Awoyemi, the chairman, THE IMPACT Group Special Committee on #SaveSanniGaniyat Campaign, whille addressing members of the media at the press conference, stated that the group has made contact with the state and local government authorities, individuals and groups to solicit for financial help for Ganiyat’s transplant.
While appreciating responses from the public so far, she stated that Ganiyat must have her surgery in the next two weeks at most.
“To raise the required fund, we have written to the government functionaries, ministries, local governments in Ikorodu and have also contacted individuals and groups”.
She, however, stated that what has been gathered so far is still very small compare to what is needed for Ganiyat’s surgery .
“We are appreciative of the responses so far but we still have a long way to go in saving Ganiyat’s life. We are now appealing for urgent financial assistance so that we can take her into surgery in the next two weeks.
“We need to be focused in this campaign. We have just two weeks to make her undergo the kidney transplant. If we cannot get it done in two weeks, that means we are wasting our time.
“Our expectation is that the government of Lagos State, under the able leadership of Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, should take up Ganiyat’s case in order to give her a good life.
“We hope that the Governor would treat our letter in this respect with the urgency it deserves.
“We are also using this medium to appeal to other public-spirited individuals and groups to please donate to save Ganiyat, while also thanking those that have contributed so far to the campaign.
“We, thereby, look forward to urgent responses and interventions from the government and members of the public”, she solicited.
Speaking on her medical details, Mrs Awoyemi stated that the group’s and Ganiyat’s family’s preference is to have the operation in India, but with recommendations from other specialists, Zenith hospital in Abuja is being considered based on proven records.
“We engaged her lead Nephrologist Consultant, Dr. T. I. Umeizudike of Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) on Saturday, May 4th, 2019, who gave us a brief overview into her case.
“Miss Ganiyat Sanni has been on treatment for systematic lupus erythematic (SLE) since 2015.
“She has now been diagnosed with end stage Renal disease (ESRD) and she is in need of regular hemodialysis (twice in a week ).
“Ganiyat Sanni needs N100,000 (One Hundred Thousand Naira) for her double weekly dialysis.
“Undergoing the operation at LASUTH, according to her Lead consultant, will cost N8.5 million Naira (Eight Million, Five Hundred Thousand Naira) excluding contingencies.
“Alternatively, an approximate sum of $25,000 (Twenty Five Thousand dollars) is needed to cover the expenses for the surgery, flight, feeding and accommodation for her and two other people in India.
“As a team, we earlier resolved that going to India is the best option considering the delicate position of her two kidneys, but based on recommendations from other specialist hospitals outside Nigeria, we agreed on Zenith hospital in Abuja if the India trip will not be possible. The hospital is top on the list of recommended hospitals that can handle the surgery in Nigeria with proven records. We have established contact in this respect.
“She had initially been undergoing regular dialysis twice a week but it has now been reduced to once a week due to the huge cost involved”.
She, however, pleaded with the public to assist in saving Ganiyat’s life.
“Miss Ganiyat is very hopeful she can live normally if she gets the required assistance from you sir.
“We plead to member of the public to make her smile and walk again.
“Miss Ganiyat Sanni needs you to come to her aid and make her dream of living a healthy life again come to a reality . She is in a very critical condition obviously”.
The Publisher/Reporter-in-Chief, THE IMPACT newspaper, Kunle Adelabu, also speaking, stated that the campaign to save Ganiyat’s life should be seen as an urgent task.
“It seems that we are considering the #SaveGaniyatSanni campaign as a medium or long term one. Although, it is a campaign, but it is now an urgent task and the general public must see it as such.
“We must take her into surgery in the next two weeks if we do not want her system to shut down completely”, he said.
He expressed his displeasure over the failure of the government to see Ganiyat’s matter as an urgent matter despite reaching out to the State House, Ministries and council authorities.
“It is quite unfortunate that despite reaching out to the immediate past Governor, Mr Akinwunmi Akinwunmi, and several ministries of the Lagos State Government as soon as Ganiyat’s matter was brought to our attention, nothing has been heard till date. Not even an acknowledgement”.
While thanking the likes of Hon. Babajimi Benson, Hon. SOB Agunbiade, Hon. Nurudeen Solaja, Hon. Wasiu Agoro, Hon. Sesan Daini and a host of other contributors, Adelabu stated that it would be a failure on the part of the society at large if anything negative happens to Ganiyat.
Meanwhile, Hon. Wasiu Agoro, Chairman, Imota LCDA, has reiterated his administration’s commitment to Ganiyat’s kidney transplant.
He also assured that her case would be presented before other council chairmen in Ikorodu division as well as the Governor of the state.
He commended THE IMPACT Group and others that have taken up Ganiyat’s campaign .
THE IMPACT Group special committee on #SaveGaniyatSanni campaign was constituted on May 2, 2019, to raise funds for Ganiyat’s treatments, including her weekly dialysis and her kidney transplant.
Members of the general public are enjoined to pay into the designated account below:
F@S ROYAL LIMITED, 0019794810, Sterling Bank Plc. For further clarifications , please, call Funke on +2348093580537.
For those willing to pay directly into Ganiyat’s mother’s account, the details are as follow:
Mrs Sanni Iyabo Afusat, 0800894597, Access Bank. Her mobile phone contact number is 08083171131.
