Follow Us on Google
Okey Sampson, Umuahia
Onyeka Destiny Emeh was born in 2004 to Mr. and Mrs. Emeh Geoffrey Ikechukwu of Umuzu, Amucha-Ebise in Njaba Local Government Area of Imo State.
While growing up, Onyeka had no serious health challenges, according to his elder brother, Chibueze Jerryson Emeh, a student of Alex Ekwueme University, Ndiufu-Alaike, Ebonyi State.
Onyeike was a little boy when his father died, leaving his upbringing in the hands of his mother, 54-year-old Chinyeaka Grace Emeh, who survives by hawking sachet water.
Chibueze said their mother was still bemoaning the death of their father and breadwinner and grappling with how to fend for them, when Onyeka, who is in JSS 3 at Victory Secondary School, Aba, Abia State, developed a serious health problem.
“Sometime ago, a bad smelling substance was oozing out from my brother’s nostrils and we made arrangements to take him to the hospital. As plans were on, we noticed that his left eye was bulging. On the day they went to see the doctor at Nnamdi University Azikiwe Teaching Hospital (NAUTH), Nnewi, Anambra State, he slumped and that necessitated emergency admission and series of tests were carried out on him and the results showed he had a cancerous tumour. The tumour is in a place between the nose and the brain, joining the eyes too.”
Chibueze said NAUTH was unable to handle the case and they were referred to the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Enugu.
Onyeka’s elder brother said, at UNTH, the doctors there said the approach to treating the tumour was chemotherapy, because the tumour had grown very big and delicate such that they could not operate on it.
“The doctors said they would use chemotherapy to shrink the tumour, that after four rounds of chemotherapy, he would be placed on radiotherapy and, after that, if the tumour fails to die, the doctors would carry out surgery on the boy.”
Chibueze disclosed that the amount that would be used to treat his younger brother is in the neighbourhood of N3 million.
“But first, they asked us to bring N117,000 that they will use for scans and various tests. We were also asked to bring another N201,120 for his chemotherapy, but, because of lack of money, the boy is just there at home writhing in pain every minute of the day. It’s devastating seeing him cry daily from excruciating pain.”
Since the boy’s father is late, Chibueze is appealing to Imo State Government, corporate organisations and kind individuals to come to the aid of Onyeka.
Any financial assistance towards the treatment of Onyeka might be paid into the UBA account number 2064374024, with the account name: Emeh Jerryson Chibueze.
