THE PLIGHT OF MS. OLUWABUNMI ESTHER AKINYELE (WARNING! THE PHOTOGRAPHS YOU ARE ABOUT TO VIEW ARE A BIT GRAPHIC)

Oluwabunmi Akinyele woke up early morning of a hopeful pretty day, three years ago and felt a pinching nerve in her left shoulders: “I just noticed a sharp pain that morning”. She said from her bed, struggling hard these days to find a comfortable sit-position. The hospital initially diagnosed her as fractured bone from the results of X-ray she did.


The next morning, she was instructed to take the X-ray to the only orthopedic hospital in Lagos: Igbobi Orthopedic Hospital: Here, she was told that she needed an immediate surgery to correct the fractured bone. Few weeks after the surgery; the she noticed a swelling and felt a travelling but constant excruciating pain. She returned to the hospital and it referred her to the only Teaching hospital in Lagos: The Lagos University Teaching Hospital, for further opinion and possible treatment.


LUTH, the nation’s healthcare frontline hospital told Ms. Akinyele that it does not have the medical equipment needed for her therapy, as such, it referred her to Eko Hospital: Eko in turn sent her back to Igbobi Orthopedics Hospital.


At Igbobi, the doctors threatened to amputate her arms as last solution to her illness: The brave lady refused. She was told at the hospital to use her cell phone and contact her parents so that they would come and pick her up. There was nothing the hospital could do for her, medically, except amputation. To salvage what was left of its reputation, Igbobi Hospital allegedly asked her to go seek treatment in a functional healthcare system: “They asked me to take my medical problems overseas and seek medical miracle”. Her nation has and continues to fail her.


After the doctors and healthcare system disappointed her, she sought spiritual and faith healing through various churches: The churches told her it was a spiritual attack. “I did not have an accident or fall down. Since then, we’ve been going to different churches. They said it’s a spiritual attack and we have been treating it.”


She carries the burden of pain and begs God everyday for survival. It has been three years and counting since she felt like a normal human being. These days, this young Nigerian girl lives with the gruesome ordeal of BONE MARROW CANCER; it has ravaged and continues to ravage her upper body, three years after being diagnosed. As I write, she is asleep thanks to daily dosage of pain medications.



The cancer has left her right ankle with decayed tumor, exposed and untreated swollen sores that streams continuously of bodily fluids; discharges mucus and pores every second, due to lack of proper medical treatment. The fluids are slowly building to her upper shoulders and neck. Sadly, she cannot afford medical treatment because she has no money. She lives through each day by heavy dependant on none prescribed painkillers. She fights on; hoping for a miracle. She needs sponsorship to help her get the right medical treatment so as to live peacefully and painlessly again.


Just last week, her landlord threatened to evict her for none payment of her rent these past few months.


Oluwabunmi Esther Akinleye is the face of a compassionate world. She is our sister, our mother, our aunt, our girlfriend, our wife, our grandmother, our niece and our dear citizen. What would you do if your sister or your relative is dying slowly from a manageable disease such as this? How long should we watch her suffer and die in pain and penniless? She deserves to live another day. She’s Gotta Live…Its our world. Lets own it. Let us save a life today because by saving her, we are saving ourselves. We owe this to God/ Allah and whatever you believe in. Mega Respect.


Azuka Jebose, [email protected].


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