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From Tony John, Port Harcourt
Eleven-year-old David Paul is consistently screaming out of pain and agony from the discomfort he has been experiencing from multiple life-threatening conditions that have plagued him for almost two years.
His wearied and helpless mother, Blessing Paul, is devastated as the cry and pathetic state of health of her son is causing her sleepless night.
Currently, the little boy is unable to lie down, sit, sleep, eat or urinate. The mother described his pathetic condition as traumatic.
It was gathered that, for the past two years, the boy has been in and out of different hospitals starting with the Model Primary Health Care, Emenike Junction, Mile 1 Diobu, Port Harcourt; Military Hospital, Port Harcourt; Rivers State University Teaching Hospital (former Braithwaite Memorial Hospital, BMH) and University of Uyo Teaching Hospital, Uyo and a private hospital in Uyo seeking for healing of his conditions.
However, the major treatments and management are done at the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital, which has all his medical details.
According to Blessing, the boy has been diagnosed with heart failure, tuberculosis (TB) and kidney disease with the consultant saying that the kidney issues can better be managed locally.
David’s story in the past two years has been a very touchy one as narrated by the mother who has literally abandoned her petty trading to stay with his son as care giver.
Blessing said her son had always been on emergency admission. She said: “It was just one morning, a year and 11 months ago, he woke up and started vomiting black substance like blood. I took him to the health centre and they gave him an injection and placed him on antibiotics for three days. Then, I started observing that his face was heavy. Some persons said it was food allergy. They asked me to run some tests which I did, but the problem continued.
“Then, the legs started swelling. I went back to the health centre and they referred us to BMH (Rivers University Teaching Hospital). But, we went to the Military Hospital. There, the doctors admitted him for almost three weeks. Then, they referred us back to BMH and they also admitted him there. The BMH has been managing him; the stomach became affected and he became bloated, paralyzed and temporarily blind.
“They later diagnosed him with partial stroke. After he became stable, we were discharged. After that, almost every month, we take him to BMH. They said he was having heart failure and because of staying too long in the hospital, he contacted tuberculosis which added more problem to the one that we are managing.”
She disclosed that due to paucity of funds, the hospital management discharged them in July, 2025. They stayed awhile without going to hospital for check-up.
Blessing said after observing that there was no improvement, they returned to the BMH and have been in and out of hospital.
She lamented: “Now we need about N500,000 because that is what is required to just flush the water from his system, monthly. They will flush the water, do cardiography for the heart, x-ray and everything.
“Even as he is now, once we go there, they will place him on oxygen. He has been looking helpless, crying, no food, no sleep because the water has circulated everywhere. I’m a trader; but I can’t go to the market any more because of my son’s health. I only go to the market when his brothers come back from school or if my sister is at home. My husband is a teacher.
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“Apart from the hospital visitation, we have been going to church and praying and calling pastors to pray for him. It’s God that is keeping him alive.”
Daily Sun gathered that the consultant handling David’s case had advised a phased treatment, starting with getting the heart to function properly, treating the tuberculosis before considering kidney transplant.
The father, Daniel, said: “The consultant said we can’t start talking about kidney transplant now because of the condition of his heart. He said that when the heart starts functioning properly and if the kidneys have not improved, then they can then look at the direction of transplant.
“The heart treatment can be done in Nigeria but the kidney transplant, the consultant said, can only be managed in Nigeria. I can’t tell if he’s flown abroad whether he can be fully treated.
“As at June last year before he tested positive for TB, the consultant roughly put the cost of kidney and heart treatments between a range of N19 million to N30 million.”
The family is calling on the government, ministries and agencies, non-governmental organisations, philanthropists and other members of the pubic to come to their aid in rescuing young David and giving him a chance to live a full and fulfilled life.
The mother told Daily Sun that the consultant on January 12 recommended two more laboratory tests to be done costing over N200,000.
“As I speak, we have exhausted all that we have. We can’t raise the money. It is agonising. Watching my son always crying out of pains and restless, weighs me done. My son wants to live. We want him to live. That’s why we are appealing to the government, organisations and members of the public to help our son to live.”
The couple can be reached through the information below:
Contact: Father – Daniel Paul – 07085556206, 08064450145.
Mother- Blessing – 08101067730.
Their account details:
1. Daniel Paul – 3070035721 – First Bank Plc
2. Daniel Paul – 2136272748 – UBA.
3. Paul Etiene-obong Daniel – 3204886571 – First Bank
