Born Without Skull: US Doctors Create Fresh Head For Nigerian Child - See PHOTO
With much expectation, the world is
waiting to see OkikiJesu Olawuyi grab a
fitting place in the Guinness Book of World
Records. Many across the world want to
see this happen. And what that means is
that a Nigerian child is well on her way to
making history once she scales the
mountain of surgeries standing in her path
of life.
OkikiJesu Olawuyi was born without a skull but
not without a will to live. Bones from her hands are
being obtained to construct a skull bone to help her
live. Amazingly, she is winning this battle for her
life at John Hopkins University in far away United
States of America. There, the best hands the world
can assemble are with her every passing hour
fighting a medical war to give life to a miracle child
who has announced to the entire human
community that she has something different to
offer. First grade surgeons – irrespective of colour,
race and tongue are tasking their expertise to see
that this wonder of the 21st century lives to tell her
story and reports say that they are doing a great
job to save her.
OkikiJesu is getting moral and material support
from across the world to help her live. An
avalanche of support is coming her way. Her
parents are carrying the burden of pain and
anguish with
stoic patience. They are fighting to remedy a
medical case they cannot tell how it all started. The
child needs a lot more financial assistance to pull
through, her father, Mr. Caleb Olawuyi, says. He
disclosed that she needed an additional $500,000
to undergo the final operation that would enable
her live a normal life. Experts say that is possible
and they can achieve that. While appealing for
generous support from government, corporate
organizations and private individuals to help the
baby live, Mr. Olawuyi, has equally urged
government to set up funds to assist babies
afflicted with critical ailments. Speaking straight
from the heart, he noted that one needed to be
close to a child in pains to know how it feels.
Since news of the child’s medical condition was
disclosed, the world has been aghast. She was born
on May 11, 2010 with a rare birth deformity which
means over 50 per cent of her skull doesn’t exist.
The world has not seen anything of this stuff. In
recorded history, Sunday Sun gathered that this
medical condition has never been reported
anywhere. The child’s condition is one that appears
to have turned medicine on its head, having
thrown up tremendous professional challenge to
the human race. Now, the very best the world has
known are fighting a crunchy battle to overcome
this, leaving many – particularly those with hearts
of stone- wondering if there is nothing they can
offer to help.
Now from the home sector, help is coming for
three-year-old Okiki and her parents. Since the
condition of the baby became public knowledge, a
non profit organization had stepped in to assist.
Global Initiative for Peace, Love and Care (GIPLC)
has been doing all it can to give life to the child
whose medical condition is not traceable to her
parents. With the assistance of the organization’s
Coordinator and Project Manager, Mr. Nuhu
Kwajafa, the child and her parents were on May 4,
2013, flown to the United States. There, she is
currently undergoing skull reconstruction surgery
at the John Hopkins University Medical Centre.
Now, the child’s and her father’s cry for help comes
ringing through the airways asking Nigerians to
help her live. Here is a child the world is interested
in. The non-profit organization is doing its best at
that level to help her survive. Sunday Sun gathered
that while the world was a short while away from
screaming uhuru at the wonderful breakthrough,
an unforeseen complication arose after over 14
hours of surgery. This followed inconsistencies in
her medical history. Besides, her case marked a
maiden attempt in paediatric neurosurgery. This,
therefore, led to a further accumulation of medical
bills totaling over US$500,000. This bill is spiraling
every passing day OkikiJesu and her parents spend
at the Johns Hopkins facility.
Specialists in the USA have identified the rare birth
deformity which OkikiJesu is suffering, as
Congenital Cranial Deficiency. Before now, she had
been to several hospitals but not cured, but luck
flashed on her pathway when GIPLC, which is
based in Abuja took up her case. Sunday Sun
learnt that since then, the organization has
recorded significant success in efforts to get
medical care for her. Within just a week, it raised
about $234,000, an equivalent of N37 million
through kind gestures from individuals and groups
for her treatment at John Hopkins Hospital.
Kwajafa , just back from the United States, told
Sunday Sun that “prior to the complications which
arose, what made a determination of the full cost
of Okiki’s surgery difficult is that in modern times,
it is an extremely rare (perhaps singular) medical
condition with no precedence to draw estimates
from.
“This latter fact also means that it is equally
difficult to tell what other medical complications
may arise. An example are fluids that were
retained in her cranial cavity which have posed an
unforeseen challenge and may have led to a fatal
infection.”
Kwajafa’s worry is that, “OkikiJesu may not be
released from hospital until all outstanding bills
have been paid. We and her parents are desirous
of her condition being fully remedied before she
leaves the hospital.” Against this backdrop, he said
“We would like to appeal to the global public to
support our cause in ensuring that OkikiJesu
Olawuyi lives.”
Medical analysts believe she will be a living
testimony if she recovers. According to GIPLC, her
case remains the only one of its kind in the world.
When OkikiJesu’s father, Mr. Olawuyi spoke to
Sunday Sun on telephone from John Hopkins
Hospital, he expressed optimism that the girl was
doing well and had remained in stable condition.
He said “We thank God that she is responding
positively to every operation performed on her. The
doctors attending to her are also pleased with her
present condition. They said she is a miracle
child,because she is so far the only child in the
world with this kind of health condition.
“They told us that there is no case of her type in
medical history at their disposal the world over.
There are three renowned doctors attending to
OkikiJesu and the experience is so great.
“They keep assuring us that everything will be fine
soon. We are also hoping positively and asking
God to deliver our child.”
In a voice laden with emotion, he appealed to
Nigerians to assist the child to live through their
generous donations, pointing out that with money
available, the baby was sure to survive.
“But our greatest challenge here is the cost of her
treatment in the hospital. It’s indeed a very tough
experience for us as parents.
The medical bill keeps increasing daily and has
since been piling up. The treatment has over-shot
the initial bill that was given to us before we came,
because her condition exceeded their estimation.
The major issue is the hospital bill and not really
our up-keep, that is, myself, my wife and our 15-
month old baby, (Okiki’s younger sister). She is
currently at the intensive care unit (ICU). This
costs between $6,000 and $10,000 daily.
Sometimes, two nurses are stationed to take care of
her daily and it costs a lot of money.
“The good thing is that they are not taking any
chance. They are all over her all the time. They are
monitoring her regularly especially as she is an
international patient. The bill is growing higher,”
he lamented.
Okiki’s father further stated that for “every parent
of a child with this critical health challenge, one
only manages to sleep and to wake up hoping that
the next day would be different. We have gone
through this trauma all this while.
Though, we
have faith in God but every passing day, we are
afraid for her life. Here in the hospital, as critical
as her condition is , we are living and sharing her
pains more so that the bills pile up every moment.
“ We appeal to Nigerians not to give up on Okiki.
With their support, God will not disappoint us
because she keeps improving daily. All the
operations have been very critical. They took bones
from her hand and leg to construct her skull. And
she is doing fine.
“We appreciate efforts by all Nigerians including
individuals, groups and corporate organizations.
Everybody has been very supportive. We thank the
Nigerian government, the National Assembly, and
particularly the Speaker of the House of
Representatives, Honourable Aminu Tambuwal
and other kind-hearted people and members of
our family for their support
“On behalf of our daughter Okiki, and other
children and parents in this condition, we urge
government to institute a Special Trust Fund to
take care of such rare and critical cases in the
country. This fund should be adequately funded to
cater for such critical needs.
“For us, Okiki’s parents, we are in this condition
but hope that one day God will deliver us.
“In this situation, we repeat our appeal for quick
intervention from the government and other
Nigerians. Our wish here is that others should be
spared this experience. We plead further with
government to establish a fund to cater for such
children in this condition.
waiting to see OkikiJesu Olawuyi grab a
fitting place in the Guinness Book of World
Records. Many across the world want to
see this happen. And what that means is
that a Nigerian child is well on her way to
making history once she scales the
mountain of surgeries standing in her path
of life.
OkikiJesu Olawuyi was born without a skull but
not without a will to live. Bones from her hands are
being obtained to construct a skull bone to help her
live. Amazingly, she is winning this battle for her
life at John Hopkins University in far away United
States of America. There, the best hands the world
can assemble are with her every passing hour
fighting a medical war to give life to a miracle child
who has announced to the entire human
community that she has something different to
offer. First grade surgeons – irrespective of colour,
race and tongue are tasking their expertise to see
that this wonder of the 21st century lives to tell her
story and reports say that they are doing a great
job to save her.
OkikiJesu is getting moral and material support
from across the world to help her live. An
avalanche of support is coming her way. Her
parents are carrying the burden of pain and
anguish with
stoic patience. They are fighting to remedy a
medical case they cannot tell how it all started. The
child needs a lot more financial assistance to pull
through, her father, Mr. Caleb Olawuyi, says. He
disclosed that she needed an additional $500,000
to undergo the final operation that would enable
her live a normal life. Experts say that is possible
and they can achieve that. While appealing for
generous support from government, corporate
organizations and private individuals to help the
baby live, Mr. Olawuyi, has equally urged
government to set up funds to assist babies
afflicted with critical ailments. Speaking straight
from the heart, he noted that one needed to be
close to a child in pains to know how it feels.
Since news of the child’s medical condition was
disclosed, the world has been aghast. She was born
on May 11, 2010 with a rare birth deformity which
means over 50 per cent of her skull doesn’t exist.
The world has not seen anything of this stuff. In
recorded history, Sunday Sun gathered that this
medical condition has never been reported
anywhere. The child’s condition is one that appears
to have turned medicine on its head, having
thrown up tremendous professional challenge to
the human race. Now, the very best the world has
known are fighting a crunchy battle to overcome
this, leaving many – particularly those with hearts
of stone- wondering if there is nothing they can
offer to help.
Now from the home sector, help is coming for
three-year-old Okiki and her parents. Since the
condition of the baby became public knowledge, a
non profit organization had stepped in to assist.
Global Initiative for Peace, Love and Care (GIPLC)
has been doing all it can to give life to the child
whose medical condition is not traceable to her
parents. With the assistance of the organization’s
Coordinator and Project Manager, Mr. Nuhu
Kwajafa, the child and her parents were on May 4,
2013, flown to the United States. There, she is
currently undergoing skull reconstruction surgery
at the John Hopkins University Medical Centre.
Now, the child’s and her father’s cry for help comes
ringing through the airways asking Nigerians to
help her live. Here is a child the world is interested
in. The non-profit organization is doing its best at
that level to help her survive. Sunday Sun gathered
that while the world was a short while away from
screaming uhuru at the wonderful breakthrough,
an unforeseen complication arose after over 14
hours of surgery. This followed inconsistencies in
her medical history. Besides, her case marked a
maiden attempt in paediatric neurosurgery. This,
therefore, led to a further accumulation of medical
bills totaling over US$500,000. This bill is spiraling
every passing day OkikiJesu and her parents spend
at the Johns Hopkins facility.
Specialists in the USA have identified the rare birth
deformity which OkikiJesu is suffering, as
Congenital Cranial Deficiency. Before now, she had
been to several hospitals but not cured, but luck
flashed on her pathway when GIPLC, which is
based in Abuja took up her case. Sunday Sun
learnt that since then, the organization has
recorded significant success in efforts to get
medical care for her. Within just a week, it raised
about $234,000, an equivalent of N37 million
through kind gestures from individuals and groups
for her treatment at John Hopkins Hospital.
Kwajafa , just back from the United States, told
Sunday Sun that “prior to the complications which
arose, what made a determination of the full cost
of Okiki’s surgery difficult is that in modern times,
it is an extremely rare (perhaps singular) medical
condition with no precedence to draw estimates
from.
“This latter fact also means that it is equally
difficult to tell what other medical complications
may arise. An example are fluids that were
retained in her cranial cavity which have posed an
unforeseen challenge and may have led to a fatal
infection.”
Kwajafa’s worry is that, “OkikiJesu may not be
released from hospital until all outstanding bills
have been paid. We and her parents are desirous
of her condition being fully remedied before she
leaves the hospital.” Against this backdrop, he said
“We would like to appeal to the global public to
support our cause in ensuring that OkikiJesu
Olawuyi lives.”
Medical analysts believe she will be a living
testimony if she recovers. According to GIPLC, her
case remains the only one of its kind in the world.
When OkikiJesu’s father, Mr. Olawuyi spoke to
Sunday Sun on telephone from John Hopkins
Hospital, he expressed optimism that the girl was
doing well and had remained in stable condition.
He said “We thank God that she is responding
positively to every operation performed on her. The
doctors attending to her are also pleased with her
present condition. They said she is a miracle
child,because she is so far the only child in the
world with this kind of health condition.
“They told us that there is no case of her type in
medical history at their disposal the world over.
There are three renowned doctors attending to
OkikiJesu and the experience is so great.
“They keep assuring us that everything will be fine
soon. We are also hoping positively and asking
God to deliver our child.”
In a voice laden with emotion, he appealed to
Nigerians to assist the child to live through their
generous donations, pointing out that with money
available, the baby was sure to survive.
“But our greatest challenge here is the cost of her
treatment in the hospital. It’s indeed a very tough
experience for us as parents.
The medical bill keeps increasing daily and has
since been piling up. The treatment has over-shot
the initial bill that was given to us before we came,
because her condition exceeded their estimation.
The major issue is the hospital bill and not really
our up-keep, that is, myself, my wife and our 15-
month old baby, (Okiki’s younger sister). She is
currently at the intensive care unit (ICU). This
costs between $6,000 and $10,000 daily.
Sometimes, two nurses are stationed to take care of
her daily and it costs a lot of money.
“The good thing is that they are not taking any
chance. They are all over her all the time. They are
monitoring her regularly especially as she is an
international patient. The bill is growing higher,”
he lamented.
Okiki’s father further stated that for “every parent
of a child with this critical health challenge, one
only manages to sleep and to wake up hoping that
the next day would be different. We have gone
through this trauma all this while.
Though, we
have faith in God but every passing day, we are
afraid for her life. Here in the hospital, as critical
as her condition is , we are living and sharing her
pains more so that the bills pile up every moment.
“ We appeal to Nigerians not to give up on Okiki.
With their support, God will not disappoint us
because she keeps improving daily. All the
operations have been very critical. They took bones
from her hand and leg to construct her skull. And
she is doing fine.
“We appreciate efforts by all Nigerians including
individuals, groups and corporate organizations.
Everybody has been very supportive. We thank the
Nigerian government, the National Assembly, and
particularly the Speaker of the House of
Representatives, Honourable Aminu Tambuwal
and other kind-hearted people and members of
our family for their support
“On behalf of our daughter Okiki, and other
children and parents in this condition, we urge
government to institute a Special Trust Fund to
take care of such rare and critical cases in the
country. This fund should be adequately funded to
cater for such critical needs.
“For us, Okiki’s parents, we are in this condition
but hope that one day God will deliver us.
“In this situation, we repeat our appeal for quick
intervention from the government and other
Nigerians. Our wish here is that others should be
spared this experience. We plead further with
government to establish a fund to cater for such
children in this condition.
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