This is the agony of Mrs. Victoria Adeuya, the mother of a final year law student of Ekiti State University, Ado Ekiti, Damilola Adeuya, who is presently battling with kidney failure.

The battle started three years ago when she was first diagnosed with kidney failure and needed a transplant.

The family confronted the challenges headlong and sought for assistance from all quarters. After much ado, the efforts succeeded with the family getting enough fund to begin the course of treatments.

But there was a problem getting a kidney donor. But for the love she has for her second child, Mrs. Adeuya decided to donate one of her kidneys for the transplant. Next, the family flew her to an Indian hospital where she had a successful kidney transplant. The joy of the family knew no bound.

“The family was very happy. We were happy that God did it for us and that she could live her normal life again. Other family members and friends joined us in thanks and praises. Little did we know the problem would rear its ugly head again,” said the distraught mother.

Damilola’s problem resurfaced again barely after two years. Although the transplant was done in India, she suffered kidney rejection because she could not get her routine drugs.

“There was kidney rejection due to lack of funds to buy drugs. I was the one that donated kidney to her in 2014.

“We have been to Governor Ayodele Fayose even when he was out of office, who once gave us money to buy drugs. But due to high foreign exchange of naira to dollar, the money was not enough to buy medication that would last for long.

‘We spend an average of N250,000 on drugs monthly. The International Federation of Women Lawyers also assisted us with N120,000 for drugs.

“The family is owing a cooperative society about N500,000 now. There are many things that the family is passing through. That is what led to the kidney rejection.”

When Damilola was brought to The Punch office in Ado Ekiti, she caught a pitiable sight. She was just staring at our correspondent and nodding her head in acknowledgement of pleasantries passed to her. She had just concluded a session of dialysis and was looking almost thrice her size at the back of the vehicle where she sat down quietly.

“With the dialysis now, she can walk. Before, she couldn’t walk. We spend about N120,000 weekly. My salary and that of her father could barely pay for a week dialysis and other course of treatment,” her mother said in tears.

The Head Teacher of a primary school in Ekiti lamented that the family had sold all their property before the first transplant could be done in India and could hardly feed other children.

“We sold all our property before we could travel to India with the help of the then state government under Dr. Kayode Fayemi.

“At a time, we lost hope but we trust in God. We don’t know the cause of the problem.”

While the family is battling for a solution, some clerics have capitalised on the situation to milk the family dry by collecting money from them for spiritual healing.

“We have been taken advantage of in the past when we were asked to bring money and some other items. But we don’t have money for all those things again, so they have let us be.

“They will say buy this, buy that. They are still asking us but what you don’t have, you can’t give.”

An August 14 medical report obtained by our correspondent and signed by one Dr. O. Osasona for the consultant in charge at the Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, Ado Ekiti, narrated the medical condition of Damilola.

The report also confirmed the challenges the family is facing.

The report says, “She had kidney transplantation after several sessions of dialysis in the year 2014. The transplantation was financed by the parents through loans and mortgage of family property.

“Unfortunately, she had rejection of the transplanted kidney and subsequent failure in 2017.

“Currently, she is back on thrice weekly dialysis and placed on several injectable and oral medications. Due to the attendant cost and complications of dialysis coupled with the global best practices, the patient will benefit from another kidney transplantation.”

The report also revealed her current treatment and proposed kidney transplantation:

“Twice weekly EPO injection at N10,000 per dose -N20,000, thrice weekly dialysis at N15,000 per session -N45,000, twice weekly iron sucrose injection at N2,000 per dose -N4,000, anti-hypertensive drugs average N5,000 per week.

“There will also be regular routine investigations at N10,000 per week, other essential medications at N5,000 per week, creation of A-V fistula (access)/graft at N80,000 while preparation and other logistics for transplantation is N10m,” the report added.

The family is begging good spirited individuals and institutions to come to their aid. You can make your donations to this Skye Bank Account: Adeuya Victoria Oluyemi, 1014997530