“If God gives me a second chance to live after this kidney transplant, I want to become a pastor. I will pray to God to give me the power to heal the sick, especially people with kidney problems. I want to become a pastor because I want spiritual healing for people that have renal failure.”
These were the words of a 41-year-old man, Tokunbo Ogunlusi, who needs the princely sum of N7 million for a kidney transplant. Ogunlusi’s renal failure started six months after his wedding in 2008, affecting one of his kidneys. Though the marriage has not been blessed with any child, his faithful wife has resolved that what God has joined together, no renal failure could put asunder. She has refused to leave her husband, a native of Aramoko-Ekiti in Ekiti State, to carry his cross alone.
She has remained a faithful partner and has been helping her husband to live through the end state renal disease and hypertension. But Ogunlusi is not only lucky to have a good wife, his mother has also volunteered to donate one of her kidneys to him. They have been doing some tests to determine the compatibility of their kidneys. Ogunlusi, a distributor of home videos in Ogba, Lagos, told Daily Sun how the problem started. He said: “It started with malaria, which I treated severally but it refused to go.
This made me to seek medical attention at a private hospital. But the hospital referred me to the Gbagada General Hospital.” “Some tests were conducted after which I was diagnosed with kidney problem. I was placed on dialysis. At the initial stage, it was once in a week. Now, the dialysis is twice a week because my condition is deteriorating. I pay N20, 000 for each dialysis.
“Since then, I have tried to raise funds for the kidney transplant but it has not yielded positive result. The hospital even sent a medical report of my kidney disease to the Commissioner for Health, Lagos, in April 2009, but nothing has come out of it.” A medical report by Dr. B.O. Ojuroye of the Gbagada General Hospital, Lagos State and dated November 24, 2008, disclosed that Ogunlusi came to the hospital on September 3, 2008 with a year’s history of hypertension, a week history of facial and abdominal swelling, oliguria and fever.
“Following a thorough assessment, he was diagnosed with end state renal disease and he is presently on maintenance haemodialysis. However, the patient would eventually need a renal transplant which offers a better hope for survival,” Ojuroye said. By 2009, Ogunlusi has been placed on a maintenance haemodialysis two times every week. He said his kidney picked up in 2010 and was stable for about one year, but lamented that the problem has come back.
The turn of events, he said, made him proceed to the St Nicholas Hospital, Lagos, for some tests with his mother, who has agreed to donate one of her kidneys to him. “My mother has said she gave birth to me and she wants me to give birth to my own children too. She told me she succeeded her parents and she wants me to succeed her too. This is why she volunteered to donate one of her kidneys for me to live. “The transplant and drugs for a year will cost about N7million. I need the help of Nigerians and corporate organisations.
My friends and family members have been financing my dialysis. I am begging all Nigerians and our government to please help me. The transplant can be done at the St Nicholas Hospital, Lagos,”
Ogunlusi said. For those who might want to help, Ogunlusi can be reached on 08023344386 and 07084203381. A GTBank account no 0010016038 has also been opened for him at Ogba Branch in the name of Ogunlusi Tokunbo Isaac.
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