27 Jan 2008 |
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by Ahaoma Kanu Click here for full diagnosis
His eyes were closed and his chest heaved up and down in his breathing, his frail fingers clasped tightly to the little toy he held while he kept squeezing his face on and off in pains that were evident. There were fears he might not live long enough but he had a great resolve to live that on 25th of December last year, Baby Andrew Duku was joined by his family and his fellow kids at St. Barnabas Anglican Church in Sagbama, Bayelsa State to celebrate his birthday; he is a Christmas baby. But the fears are mounting again as the clock ticks; Andrew is running a life-threatening race with life. He has Down Syndrome, the genetic condition where there are 47 chromosomes instead of the normal 46. His parents Rev. Anthony and Rosemary Duku are gradually coming to terms with the situation of their first child with the help of the Down Syndrome Association of Nigeria (DSAN); a charity they had never heard about. In fact, the young father of Andrew revealed he had never been aware of the syndrome and was very sad to learn that his first issue was down with the genetic challenge. “On Christmas, I was even preaching when I heard that my wife had put to bed, it was a thing of joy and a lot of people called him different names and I said that his name is Andrew because he is going to be a preacher as that was the covenant I made with God concerning his life. But two months later, we began to notice features of growth that was abnormal. I had to summon courage and went to a doctor in Warri who told us that he was suspecting Down Syndrome; that was the first time I had that name so I was wondering what Down Syndrome was,” he said. They were to get in contact with the association when he visited a friend and accidentally saw the association's awareness week celebration on Newsline, a national network programme on television. He quickly got their details and immediately contacted the association's president, Mrs Rose Mordi, who urged them to come over to the Ogunlana Drive office of the association in Surulere, Lagos. Some few days later, the couple came to the centre and were taken to the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) for a check up on the health condition of the child which is normally carried out by the association on all the babies with Down Syndrome brought to them. At the pediatrics department, it was diagnosed that baby Andrew also had a life threatening heart condition and needed an urgent corrective surgery to enable him survive and live. That was another blow to the couple; the father confessed that at a time he was compelled to question God why he was passing through the travail. “I
According to the Paediatric Echocardographic report, Baby Andrew has perimembranous ventricular septal defect which results in a complete endocardial cushion defect requiring urgent cardiac surgery. According to the DSAN's president, the child is in a very critical condition. “His condition is very serious so serious that right now we have to put him on anti-heart failure drugs to sustain him and stabilize his condition because the cardiologist said that something needs to be done and done very quickly. When it has to do with this congenital heart condition as the baby gets older the condition gets more serious because the heart is pumping over time and it can gradually get to a stop. We are running against time as far as Andrew's case is concerned and we need to do something and the only thing that needs to be done is to carry out corrective heart surgery as soon as possible,” she said. Andrew's case is not the first case the association has witnessed; the centre which has over 100 children and adults with Down Syndrome, had in 2006, flown three of their babies to India for corrective heart surgeries. The children namely; Samuel Ojo aged 6years; Ifeoluwa Savage who was two and Uchenne Ugoigwe who was two months and had the same condition Andrew has at that period. They were all taken to Narayana Hrudayalaya Institute of Cardiac Sciences in India to be operated on. Out of the three operated on, one was lost because the condition got worsened by the time they arrived India. It was the delay in raising the fund that caused the loss of the little baby’s life. One of the major challenges of DSAN is raising the funds for the operations as the clarity runs a resource centre that is supposed to be helping people with Down syndrome to learn how to be dependent and get integrated in the society. But the recurring conditions the children are brought to the centre always require that the association move a step further to get medical help for their children. The Kanu Heart Foundation came to their aid in taking the kids to India. “Fund is one of the greatest challenges we have. We have done it before in partnership with Kanu Heart Foundation and sent our kids to India; it was a successful trip. But Kanu Heart Foundation informed us that they have their hands full and that is why we are determined to raise fund for Andrew. People ask why we choose India, it still remains the cheapest and the most organized place we can afford to take our kids for now,” Mordi said. For the sake of Baby Andrew, the DSAN is making an appeal to concerned Nigerians at home and in Diaspora to come to the aid of the child. Mordi pleaded that anything anyone can give towards saving Andrew can make that difference. The amount needed to save Baby Andrew's life is N1.2 million with the breakdown given thus;
The Down Syndrome Association of Nigeria (DSAN) appeals to every Nigerian to come to the aid of one of their babies.
We have written to some corporate bodies and individuals we have made personal contacts with our partners asking them to support us to save this boy's life by raising the fund we need. It is just N1.2 million for this operation and will cover the air ticket for the mother, and baby; the surgery fees and accommodation. We are just asking for the fund for the basic things we need not for any luxury so we have calculated it based on the estimate given to us by the hospital. We are still hopeful that people out there who have the heart to help might be able to help us to save this boy's life,” Mordi appealed. For the parents of Baby Andrew especially the father who left a job with an oil servicing firm to answer the call from God, they are calling on the government of Delta and Bayelsa States to come to their aid and also to help the association that have been taking care of them since they have been coming from Bayelsa Sate to Lagos for treatment and other logistics. “I appeal to my fellow brethren in the ministry and the congregation in the body of Christ to come around so that the enemy can be defeated so that the ministers of God can sing praises to God. I call on our leaders in the Niger Delta region where I work as a missionary; they know that our work is the missionary work and presently for five six months our workers have not been paid so anybody going for missionary work is going for a selfless service. Our coming to Lagos was paid for by some good citizens and DSAN. Please come to our help and save Baby Andrew to live,” he prayed. He is still confident that Andrew will grow up to become a preacher which is the promise he made to God concerning his life. If you have read this story and want to be part of the people that will help in saving Baby Andrew, you can contact the the organization in Nigeria at the following address:
Nigeria Bank Details CURRENT A/C: 0040010006300
DOMICILIARY A/C: 0731010000057 ($USD)/0731020000064 (GBP/STERLING)
SWIFT CODE/SORT CODE: ABNNGLA If you live outside Nigeria, please call the individuals indicated below: UK. U.S.A US money order or check to: You can also donate by paypal. To do so, please click below:
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