N2,160,000 is all that is standing between a boy born without manhood and his chance of having one.
Seven-year-old Temitope Apanisile, who hails from Ekiti State, has been battling with bladder problems since birth.
He cannot control his urine and has been on dapper since birth.
His father, Olawale, took him to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Ikeja, where he was operated twice, but the problem persisted. After raising money for the boy, through The Nation, he took him to SCI International Hospital, India, for the third surgery.
Temitopeโs manhood is now out a little, but he requires another surgery to complete the process.
A letter by the hospitalโs Medical Director, Dr. Himanshu Shekhar, said the boy must do another surgery to complete the process and normalise the manhood to control urine.
Temitope is expected back in India on October 21 for the last phase of the surgery.
He was diagnosed with extrophy and epispadias and is to be treated for Final Bladder Neck Repair.
The father said: โI donโt have any means to meet the financial demands. My son needs N2,160,000 to do the surgery in India, which covers room charges for the specified period, surgeonโs fees, OT charges, anaesthetist charges, stay of one attendant, patientโs diet, medicines, consumables, pre-anaesthetic check-up and pick up and drop from the airport.โ
Apamisile, who was at The Nation head office at Matori, Lagos, yesterday said the surgery would enable his son comfortably pass urine and he would no longer use the dapper, which he has been using since birth.
He said: โIf I donโt get support from people, it is likely the boy has 25 per cent chance of surviving.
โIn the last seven years, over N10 million has been spent on his bladder. He has suffered right from when he was a baby till now. His mother has left me, abandoning him. She has remarried.
โIโm appealing to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and other Nigerians to save my son. I have spent my life savings on him. Iโve sold my house, sold my belongings. I am a bricklayer but I had to stop working to take care of him. Tope is intelligent. I donโt want him to die. I am begging everybody to help me so that he will live.โ
Payment can be made into GTBank account number: 0237910788, with the account name: Apanisile Temitope. His father can be reached on 08030688658.
