by Ahaoma Kanu

Some hours after more than one billion people worldwide witnessed the historic swearing in of the 44^th and first African-American President of the United States of America (U.S.A), Barrack Obama, a group known as the Down Syndrome Association of Nigeria (DSAN) kept vigil at night offering prayers and supplication to the same God not for the new President who had ten balls to attend thousands of miles in Washington, they were spiritually clearing the way for one of their babies who left the shores of the country to have her defective heart corrected.

Baby Victoria Ajayi is a 14-month old Nigerian child with curly hair and a chubby cheek, her complexion was appealing and she radiated a smile that was infectious, she was the fourth child of a retired Post officer worker, Prince Ajayi and  mother, Kemi who was a  full time housewife who confessed that the joy of having another daughter was short lived on knowing she had a genetic disorder; a condition known as Down Syndrome where one has an extra chromosome than the normal 46 as well as having a hole in the heart, can now smile as brighter days looms ahead; Baby Victoria Ajayi has undergone the corrective heart surgery at the Narayana Hrudayalaya Institute of Cardiac Sciences in Bangolore, India and all went well.

The journey towards repairing her ailing heart started when the couple came in contact with the Down Syndrome Association of Nigeria (DSAN), the association which assured them that they will take the child for corrective heart surgery in India , according to the father, that seemed like a joke.

“When I met the association at their Ogunlana Drive Office at Surulere, Lagos , they assured me that my baby will be taken for the surgery, I had never believed such group existed in this country,” he said.

The Association held a fund raising drive for Baby Victoria during their Awareness Week Dinner in September last year and with the help of Rosabel Advertising Agency, which took the matter to some private organisations for donation towards the surgery, the required amount of N1.8m was raised and on the 30^th of December, 2008, Baby Victoria, her mother and a chaperone of the association left for India for the surgery.

One getting to the hospital which was where Baby Andrew Duku, another DS baby with a defect was taken to earlier last year for the same problem, Baby Victoria was put through all the tests in preparation for the heart surgery.

 She underwent the first step towards her corrective heart surgery on Friday, 17^th January which is a process called Cath Test; a procedure where the doctors insert a top through her laps up to check her heart and the dimensions of the hole before the surgery and by the 21^st of January, she was taken into surgery where the operation was carried out by a team of Indian surgeons lead by Dr. Devi Prasal Shetty. The surgery lasted 5 hours and Baby Victoria had her heart restored again.  

She was discharged form the Intensive care unit on the 26^th of January and is waiting to be discharged which might likely happen within the week.

The President of the association, Mrs. Rose Mordi informed that the association is happy with the development is the success of the surgery will now give the association chance to move on to attend to the other babies with heart defects lined on for surgery.

“I am happy that Baby Victoria has come out of surgery and is doing very well in the ward, we are expecting them back this week and this will give us the chance to take care of the other babies lined up for surgery in our centre,” she said.

She also used the opportunity to disclose that another DS baby with heart defect, Baby Josephine Joel has joined Baby Victoria at the hospital in India and is awaiting surgery.

“I will also like to use this opportunity t inform you that Baby Josephine Joel has joined baby Victoria at the hospital in India for her corrective heart surgery, she had to leave at the hospital she was admitted in New Delhi when it seemed the hospital couldn’t handle the situation. I will like to urge everyone to pray for her success too in her surgery” she pleaded.

Early last year, the association with the help of the Nigeria Village Square family, raised more than $6000 for Baby Andrew Duku, a DS child with a hole in the heart to have a corrective heart surgery done on him.

Robot  # 1 | 08.02.2009 12:14

by Ahaoma Kanu Some hours after more thanone billion people worldwide witnessed the historic swearing in of the 44th and first African-American President of the United States of America (U.S.A), Barrack Obama, a group known as the Down Syndrome Association of Nigeria (DSAN)kept vigil at night offering prayers and supplication to the same God not for the new President who had ten balls to attend thousands of miles in Washington, they were spiritually clearing the way for one of their babies who left the shores of the country to have her defective heart corrected. Baby Victoria Ajayi is a 14-month old Nigerian child with curly hair and a chubby cheek, her complexion was appealing and she radiated a smile that was infectious, she was the fourth child of a retired Post officer worker, Prince Ajayi and moth...Read the full article.

emj  # 2 | 08.02.2009 15:38

Thanks Ahaoma for this report and all that you do.. Kudos to The President of the association(DSAN), Mrs. Rose Mordi for taking this on...she and Members of the Association are Real Nigerians who are busy doing their best to give Nigerians a shot at living again...taking away their burden....rather than sit and whine.:eek: Yes the govt has failed us...and will continue to because we as individuals fail to get our act together.

denker  # 3 | 08.02.2009 15:45

.....we as individuals fail to get our act together. ...talk for yourself..., my loving sista, emy!

emj  # 4 | 08.02.2009 16:14

=denker;323165>...talk for yourself..., my loving sista, emy! I bet u have it all together dis evening my loving braza:idea:

ttonjo  # 5 | 08.02.2009 20:40

Kudos to the Down Syndrome Association of Nigeria, DSAN, and the ever able and hard working Ahaoma Kanu, for a job well done. More grease to elbow. In fact, the selfless activities of yours is worthy of praise and I do hope that fellow Nigerians join hands to support this worthy cause. I would like to seize this opportunity to advise that the activities of this associations and others should be published regularly with their addresses and phone numbers, so as to enable people to donate generously to all these charitable organizations.

akuluouno  # 6 | 09.02.2009 01:53

Congratulations to DSAN, AK and all those who made this possible. For TB Joshua, Adeboye and the other cons in the name of god, this is the kind of miracle they should perform encourage and emulate in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. All say Amen:D:D:D

nijalaw  # 7 | 10.02.2009 05:33

Ahaoma, We thank God for a successful surgery & that the baby is doing well. I would have loved to contribute & I believe others on the square would also to any future surgeries. Please alert & let us know how. Keep up the good work.

Jucihart  # 8 | 19.02.2009 01:04

Kudos DSAN. thank God everything went smoothly.