Twin with congenital abnormality needs N500,000 for surgery

One year after he underwent constructive surgery from inability to pass meconium (stool), three-year old Taiwo Ojelabi needs N500,000 for another operation.
Taiwo, a twin baby boy who developed the problem during birth, had congenital abnormality with in-perforated anus.
When Mrs Doyin Ojelabi, a teacher at a private primary school and mother of the twin was pregnant, she booked as a patient at a private hospital, Goodwill Child Welfare Clinic and Maternity Centre, located at Mabolaje area in the ancient town, for ante-natal care.
During routine ultra-sound screening, Doyin’s womb was confirmed to contain twin gestation.
Though the hospital could not pick the abnormality, this was detected after delivery, when one of the twins was unable to pass stool.
The other twin baby, also a male, is in good condition of health.
Consequently, the twin baby with abnormality was referred to the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, Oyo State capital, where the first constructive surgery known as colostomy was successfully performed at a cost of N150,000.
With the surgery, Taiwo can now pass stool through a pipe connected to his abdomen.
Another surgery has been recommended for the final repair that will enable Taiwo to pass stool normally.
The cost is put at N500,000.
While the mother is a teacher, her husband is a cobbler.
They both live from hand to mouth.
Confirming the development, the Medical Director of the hospital, Mr. Raheem Olaniyi, who personally mobilised support for the first operation, appealed to well-meaning individuals for assistance, in order to save the ailing twin from premature death.
Speaking in an interview, Doyin who looked dejected and wept profusely, narrated how his son went through excruciating pain before he could pass out stool.
According to her,” I watched my twin baby reeling helplessly in pain whenever he wants to pass out excreta. He would cry very loud before the stool is passed out. While adjusting the pipe in the abdomen for him, he cries uncontrollably to the extent that veins in his body will come out.
“It takes some minutes after the stool is passed before
my child can get relief. We have exhausted all our fortunes on this ailment. In fact, feeding the children is a very serious problem, let alone to buy drugs for them. My salary every month is less than N10,000.”
Taiwo, who wore tattered clothes with her ailing twin baby, solicited for financial assistance from governments and charitable organisations for another surgical operation.