• Abandoned by husband, woman shops for N7m for child’s critical surgeries
• I’m just a poor pry schoolteacher; I’m begging Nigerians to help my son, she says
From Jude Chinedu, Enugu
A primary schoolteacher in Enugu State, Grace Chijioke, lives each day with a heavy heart as she fights to save her 11-year-old son who was born with bladder exstrophy, a rare and severe congenital condition that has altered the course of his life.
Sadly, while many mothers dream of their children’s bright futures, Grace is consumed by the immediate need to save her son’s life and restore his dignity. Grace is in a tight race against time.
Her case was worsened by the disappearance of her husband, who Saturday Sun gathered, allegedly relocated to the North for a long while now, and severed communication with his wife and children.
Bladder exstrophy, a condition where the bladder develops outside the body, requires a series of complex and costly surgeries to correct. The condition, if not properly handled, could lead to many complications, including incontinence, kidney damage and fertility issues.
Doctors initially estimated six surgeries would be done on Grace’s son, Chizuruoke Chijioke. Though, three have been successfully performed, the journey is far from over. The last surgery was conducted when he was six, and now, he is 11 years old: “The condition is such that his bladder was formed outside his abdomen. His penis was not formed. He does not urinate normally as he does not even notice any urge to urinate.
“He only wears diapers to hold the urine that flows out uncontrollably. The doctor said he will undergo six surgeries before the defect can be corrected. We have done three of the six surgeries which included bladder closure.
“It remains two more surgeries. He still wears diapers; the only difference is that the bladder that was outside has been taken back inside but his penis has not been formed and the urine cannot be controlled. We still use diapers to control the urine that flows from his body.
“The boy’s medical journey began at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH) in Enugu. Over the years, he has undergone three of the six planned surgeries, including bladder closure. Another surgery unrelated to the condition, a hernia operation, was performed when UNTH was on strike. The cost, however, has been devastating.
“Five years ago, they said we needed to raise N1.2 million for the remaining surgeries. With the high cost of drugs and other things now, that amount would have gone up to five or seven million Naira,” Chijioke informed the reporter.
Despite the progress, her son’s daily challenges remain immense. “He’s 11 now, and he knows his situation. It weighs him down because he wants to be like every other child. He told me, ‘Mummy, I just want to go to school without wearing pampers.’ Hearing him say that broke my heart.”
Grace’s challenges are not only financial but deeply personal as her husband, who once stood by her side, left the family a year ago under the influence of his mother.
“For the past one year now, I can’t say where he is or what he is doing. He left in search of greener pastures, that was the agreement we had before he left but after some months, he excommunicated us. He doesn’t call us. When his number was still going, he didn’t return our calls when we called.
“I can’t say what happened or what is happening to him. He said he was going to meet his mother who has been disturbing him that he is too young to carry the kind of problem he is carrying, and that I have put him into a serious problem. She refers to my son as a problem.
“She said I gave birth to a problem and now expects his son to be carrying it. That he is too young to carry such a problem. She encouraged him to come to the North where she is so he can find something to do. She told him that the Keke he was driving was too much for him that she will find something better for him to do. So, he left to go and stay with the mum.
“Because of the hatred she has for me, she doesn’t pick my calls. So, I don’t know whether he is still there with her or not. My husband’s father is late. Before all these, we didn’t have any issues. All the while we have been married, she always told him that he is too young to marry.
“We had just graduated from the university and I got pregnant for my first child, so we decided to settle down and then see how we can hustle for ourselves. So, his mother got angry that he just graduated and had not given her anything only for him to settle down. But I told her that I am not lazy and we will try as much as possible to be assisting her. But she has never accepted me since that time. My husband graduated from ESUT while I graduated from IMT.
“I just want my son to be fine. He is fast growing into a man yet he still wears diapers.
“We have three kids. The first one who is 13 years old is in JSS 3. Chizuruoke is 11 years old and should have been in JSS 1 now. The last one is seven years old.
“I want him to live without shame. He deserves to grow up like every other child, to play freely, to go to school without being laughed at. I want him to dream and chase those dreams without this condition holding him back. But without help, I don’t know how to make that happen.
“I know there are people out there who can help. Please, if you’re reading this, know that even the smallest contribution can make a big difference. I’m not asking for much, just for my son to have a chance at a normal life. That’s all I want as a mother.”
For Grace, the fight is far from over. But her resilience and love for her son remain unshaken: “I’ve carried this burden for 11 years, and I’ll carry it for as long as I have to. But with help, we can finally find relief, not just for me but for my son, who has endured so much.”
To Chizuruoke, life has been tortuous, especially while in company of his school friends and classmates. He pleaded for help so he could live a normal life: “I want the government to help me with the surgery. When I was in school, my classmates were laughing at me that I used to wear diapers. This makes me feel bad. I just want people to help me so that I can go to school.”
The surgeries represent not just a chance to correct a medical condition but a lifeline for a boy whose confidence and future hang in the balance.
Those wishing to assist the helpless primary schoolteacher and her sick son could reach Mrs Grace Chijioke via her mobile phone line 08148479789.
Donations could be made to her Fidelity Bank account number 6161628474. The account named is Grace Sharon Chijioke.