Uncle Subjects himself To Never-been-done surgery to save nephew’s life. Kidney disease has become a part of everyday discourse and a menace to many lives. The ever-increasing trend of medical tourism in Nigeria is no longer news. What’s news is a team of medical professionals in FMC Umuahia who have been making a great effort to reverse this trend.
Kidney transplant surgeries cost a minimum of N10 million, which is a daunting amount for most of the Nigerian population, and the surgery itself is a procedure that very few hospitals in the country dare to attempt.
But unknown to many, five years ago in 2017, FMC Umuahia, under the leadership of the then CMD, Dr. Abali Chuku, took up the challenge of making this a possibility in their health facilities. In conjunction with the University of Toledo College of Medicine, Ohio, in the United States, the hospital was able to carry out two transplant surgeries on Dec 7th & 8th, free of charge for the patients. This collaboration was made possible by Dr Obi Ekwenna, a diaspora Nigerian-American surgeon who took the bull by the horns to make this dream come true. Once completed, this feat which always seemed impossible, became historic and empowering.
However, this story will not be complete without talking about a heroic living kidney donor (Mr Joseph Kalu Uma) who, as a pioneer, came forward freely and consented, offering a precious gift of life that saved his nephew from the brink of death.
The good news is that to date, both uncle and nephew are alive and doing very well on this fifth “kidneyversary”. Hope and life are restored through a gift of unparalleled love gesture. This transformative story of rebirth through a kidney transplant surgery—the first successful one to be performed in the region—has become a beacon of light and hope to many in Southern Nigeria.
Kudos and congratulations to the willing hearts and hands who came together to instil hope and save lives.
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