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THE NATION WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2012
Boy needs N3.7m for surgery
T
HIRTEEN-YEAR-OLD Great Morgan, the only son of Mr and Mrs Ogden Okey Morgan of Ndoni area of Rivers State, requires N3.7m to undergo facial plastic surgery in India. On September 11, 2005, the vehicle conveying little Morgan and other passengers to Lagos, was involved in a severe accident between IjebuOde and Shagamu. Great, six-yearold then, sustained extensive injuries which, if care is not taken, will make him remain permanently deformed. He was returning to Lagos after spending the holidays with his grandmother in Ondo State. The victims were taken to Shagamu General Hospital for medical treatment. As a result of the magnitude of the injury which Master Great Morgan sustained, the hospital management directed that he be taken to Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) Idi-Araba Lagos for adequate medical attention. At LUTH, he was admitted to the emergency ward and later moved to ward four (children’s ward) where he spent three months. There, he underwent series of surgery. But the surgeries were not good enough because his face was totally battered in the accident. “It was because of this,” Mr Morgan said “that medical experts advised that he be taken to Fortis La Femme in India for proper plastic surgery.” A medical report signed by Mr Ugburo, A. C. Consultant Plastic Surgeon of Lagos University Hospital (LUTH) Idi-Araba Yaba Lagos on August 27, 2007 reads: “RE: GREAT MORGAN, MALE/6 YEARS/ HOS-
By Chinaka Okoro
PITAL NO. 470060. “The above named is a patient of the unit [and] was admitted on the 12th September, 2005 and discharged on the 25th November, 2005. He presented at the Accident and Emergency department following Road Traffic Accident in which he sustained Avulsion Injury to the forehead, abrasion injuries to the face, bilateral humeral fracture and closed fracture of the left femur. “Clinical evaluation revealed that he was anaemic and a Jehovah Witness by religion. This religious sect does not accept both autologous and heterologous blood transfusion. The Avulsion injury involved the entire forehead with the periosteum of the underlying bone still intact. “The fractures were managed conservatively and soft tissue cover of the avulsed forehead was planned. This however was delayed as the packed cell volume was 17% and patient would not accept blood transfu-
sion. He was subsequently commenced on intravenous Erythropoietin. Six weeks later when the conditions were optimal, a split thickness skin graft was used to re-surface the forehead while a posterior auricular full thickness graft was used to correct upper eyelid ectropion. He was subsequently discharged and planned for further flap reconstruction of defects of the forehead if required. “Follow up treatment was continued on outpatient basis and in the last review on the 27th March, 2006, the following defects were noted:-Excessive scaring of the graft site. -Hypertrophic scar extending from the medial canthus of the right eye down the entire nasolabial fold. -Re-contracture and ectropion of the right upper eyelid. Surgical reconstruction of these defects were offered however patient wishes to seek resolve of his problem outside the country. “We would be glad if all necessary assistance is offered.”
The worst part of it is the psychological trauma he goes through. Any time he returns from school, he will be crying that his school mates usually make mockery of his face; asking him ‘why can’t your parents remove this bad thing on your face?’He feels dejected almost always
Donor hailed for helping Delta flood victims
O
fficials of Delta State flood rehabilitation camps have commended Delta State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship aspirant in the 2011 general elections, Professor Saliba Mukoro for donating relief materials to flood victims. A statement signed by his Media Consultant Mr. Oghenekevwe Laba said that Mukoro, who is currently on holidays in the United States of America (USA) recently, donated pick-up load of relief items and truck of pure water each to four different flood victims’ rehabilitation camps spread across Delta State. The flood rehabilitation camps which benefitted from Mukoro’s gesture were Ughelli, Oleh, Ozoro and Asaba. Relief
•Saliba Mukoro
items loaded in the pick-up trucks were bags of rice, bags of garri, bathing soap and loaves of bread, among other items. The materials were presented on behalf of Mukoro by his Special Assistant Hon. Joshua Panama. While receiving the relief materials from Panama, Camp Commandant of St. Michael’s College, Oleh, Mrs. Helen Obanedo, who said she was short of words over Mukoro’s humanitarian gesture to the flood victims, thanked him for donating generously to the needy, just as she noted that they appreciated his effort in ameliorating the pains of the flood victims. In a related development, Camp Commandant of flood victims located at Anglican Girls’ Grammar School (AGGS), Ozoro Isoko North Local Government Area Mr. Atumu Desmond commended Professor Mukoro for supplying relief materials to the camp, just as he assured him that the relief materials would be judiciously used to the benefit of the flood victims. “Delta State government, Isoko North Local Government Area and Isoko Development Council (IDC) in Ozoro thanked Professor Saliba Mukoro for the items he supplied to this camp. I want to assure him that the items will be judiciously used to the glory of God and for the benefit of the people,” he promised. Responding on behalf of Mukoro, Joshua Panama said Mukoro donated the materials to the various camps as a way of expressing his feelings to the flood victims. He said pick-up load of relief materials and truck load of pure water each were distributed to four different camps. He ap-
•Some of the items donated
pealed to corporate organisations, non-governmental organisations (NGO) and individuals to assist by supplying relief materials to the victims, adding that government cannot do it alone. “The exercise should be a continuous one. This is because if you give them food today, how can they feed tomorrow? Government should make arrangement for proper and permanent rehabilitation of the victims. This is a natural disaster that could happen to anyone,” he said.
Corroborating the above, the management of the Fortis La Femme Hospital in India in what it called estimated diagnosis and line of treatment said: “Dr Kashyap, Senior Consultant, Department of Plastic Surgery has reviewed the reports of the patient Master Great Morgan and opined that reports of the patient revealed scars on the forehead due to split skin grafting, ectropion of right upper eyelid and scaring on the left nasolabia. He is being scheduled for facial contractures and skin grafting…” Though Great Morgan is not suffering from physical pains as the wounds have healed the psychological trauma which results from jests made of his deformity by his school mates seem to be the major pain the little boy is experiencing currently. According to his father Mr Okey Morgan, Great always displays immense psychosomatic dispositions any time he comes back from school. He said: “Each time he looks at his face in the mirror, he starts crying. And any time he is asleep, one of his eyes will be open as if he is awake. We his parents are not happy seeing him in that condition, as no parents will be happy seeing his or her child looking deformed. Great’s face is totally deformed. “The worst part of it is the psychological trauma he goes through. Any time he returns from school, he will be crying that his school mates usually make mockery of his face; asking him ‘why can’t your parents remove this bad thing on your face?’He feels dejected almost always. We are
•Great Morgan praying that no dangerous thoughts would come into him one day to do something funny.” Mr Morgan further disclosed that they have been approaching some individuals for assistance but have not gotten an appreciable amount of the N3.7m required for the surgery. The Morgans said: “We are appealing to Lagos State governor Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN), public-spirited Nigerians and corporate organisations to provide financial help to enable us to take our only son Great to India for plastic surgery.” For more information, the following telephone lines could be contacted: 08023066447 and 08161694530. Cash payments can be made into the following bank account number: OGDEN OKEY MORGAN 3004973563 FIRST BANK Plc.