Story of Chikamso Emmanuel Nwali
Chikamso Nwali is the second child of my late sister, Umahi Ezinne. He was born on
the 21st of February 2022. Sadly, his mother passed away just minutes after his birth
due to complications and heavy bleeding.
In order to bury Ezinne according to tradition, Chikamso was placed in the care of a
distant aunt to look after him while the rest of us, the family, mourned our loss and
tried to deal with the pain and shock of everything that happened.
Just three weeks after he was born, we noticed he started having convulsions. Due to
financial constraints, we treated him locally. Thankfully, he got better for some time
until around June, when we noticed that his head was growing bigger than normal.
The way Chikamso’s head was growing was very scary, and we were forced to take
him to the hospital to find out what was really going on. When we got to UNTH
(University Teaching Hospital Enugu), he was admitted, and several tests were
carried out.
The doctors told us that he had Hydrocephalus and some other health conditions. He
couldn’t eat with his mouth; he had to be fed through a pipe. He also laid in just one
position for the four months he was in the hospital and till this very moment.
During his stay at UNTH, several surgeries were done to help drain the fluid from his
head. I used all my life savings to cover the bills, as his father was nowhere to be
found during the challenging times. Instead, he was more focused on remarrying. It
was a very tough and painful period for me and my family. I had to borrow and also
beg for help from friends and concerned individuals to survive and sustain the
medical bills and responsibilities.
The situation also forced my mother to close down her business completely to stay
with her sick grandchild in the hospital. Nobody wanted to help because of the stress
and burden that came with it. I was left to handle everything: my younger sister’s
education, taking care of Chikamso and his elder brother, and making sure he didn’t
lack anything at the hospital. At the same time, I was struggling with my mental
health.
After four months, he was discharged. We were told to come back in a few weeks for
a checkup. Some drugs were given, and instructions on how to use them were
provided. Due to how serious the situation was, my mother had to stay home fully to
look after him till this very day.
At the next checkup, the doctor asked us to do an X-ray of his head and full body.
After the result came out, we were told that his brain is white and flat, and that it will
affect his ability to walk. Other tests were also recommended, but the doctors kept
repeating the same heartbreaking news.
Right now, the situation has made my mother visit different prayer houses for
solutions because the money to continue visiting hospitals, doing medical checkups,
and treatments is no longer there. Other hospitals that handle such cases were also
recommended, but money has been the major problem.
As I speak, Chikamso still can’t sit, speak, walk, or do anything by himself. His head is
still very big despite all the surgeries and money we spent. This whole thing has
drained me and everyone in the family emotionally and financially. But we’ve never
given up. We are committed to doing everything we can to make sure he gets well
and lives like a normal child.
This boy has truly suffered since he was born/three weeks old. Not even feeling the
love of a mother for one day is something I don’t wish for anyone. It’s been a very
tough time for him and us as a family, but we’re still hopeful that this condition can
be corrected.
We are open to any kind of help, support, advice, or suggestions. Chikamso is loved
deeply despite his medical condition. A lot has already been sacrificed just to put a
smile on his face, even in his pain.
we are open to any hospital that will take up this case
THIS BABY IS CURRENTLY IN NIGERIA.
