•Her parents are praying Nigerians help out By Nneka Ikem Wednesday, March 4, 2020: A distress call came in the evening, saying that a fast-rising basketball player, Deborah Onah, was down with Tuberculosis of the Spine and needed urgent treatment to stay alive. A follow-up message spread on Facebook, Twitter, and other social media platforms
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•Her parents are praying Nigerians help out
By Nneka Ikem
Wednesday, March 4, 2020: A distress call came in the evening, saying that a fast-rising basketball player, Deborah Onah, was down with Tuberculosis of the Spine and needed urgent treatment to stay alive.
A follow-up message spread on Facebook, Twitter, and other social media platforms to donate a paltry sum of five hundred thousand Naira (N500,000)to enable Indian doctors at Primus Hospital in Karu to commence an urgent surgery on the ailing player.
As at Saturday morning, a former, Super Eagles Player John Ogu and other public-spirited Nigerians had picked up the chunk of the deposit which enabled the doctors to commence treatment including an MRI and other tests preceding lungs and spine surgery.
A relative of Deborah, Abraham Itambor said treatment had already commenced at the Indian hospital in Karu, preceding the cardiovascular surgery.
“The Indian doctors have assured us that she’s going to be well so I don’t think there’s need for us to panic” he said.
Deborah Onah is a 16-year old student of Government Day Secondary School Karu. She hails from Nsukka in Enugu state.
According to her Coach Andre Achebe, Deborah came down with the ailment six months ago.
Achebe said she was taken to many hospitals where she was diagnosed of ulcer and Typhoid fever.
“She was being treated for typhoid and ulcer until four months ago when she was diagnosed of tuberculosis of the spine. She had fluid in her lungs which made it difficult for her to breathe and the doctors were draining the fluid for months.”
Coach Andre said that due to the long duration of the infection and resistance to drugs despite the Free Tuberculosis treatment, the fluid continued to build up in her lungs.
“Doctors said the infection had led to complications including a collapsed lung and a resultant heart crisis and that the major issue was no longer the TB”.
Tuberculosis of the spine occurs outside the lungs and affects the vertebrae and consequently produces spinal abscesses.
Deborah played at the National Youth Games in Ilorin in 2019 where her school GDSS placed 4th. Her coach said she was also in action in September last year during the Power Forward NBA Games.
“She couldn’t play well during the Power Forward League in Abuja last September because they were treating her for ulcer and typhoid not knowing that it was a serious ailment. She wasn’t at her best, yet she won the Most Valuable Player award at the Dream Sports Africa Competition.
“We went to a hospital in Minna and they said it was ulcer and gave us drugs but it didn’t stop. Then we went to Lagos and they said it was back pain. Then, her bones were weak and she could barely stand. As a coach , we got a masseur to massage her thinking that it was a bone issue but it continued.
“On our own, we took her to do X-rays but they discovered nothing and I was carrying her up and down. They only said she had a slight typhoid so we kept treating typhoid until January 2nd 2020.
“Her mother called me to say she had totally collapsed and they were at the Medical Center In Keffi. She spent over two months there”.
Deborah Onah won the Milo Bssketball Championship for her school twice for the Central Conference. She won gold in the Dream Sports Africa Competition but her game dropped during the Power Forward League in Abuja due to early signs of the ailment.
The 16-year old is due to write her Senior Secondary School examination I’m May/June 2020. Pray for her quick recovery.
My Visit to the hospital
Stepping into the Primus Specialist Hospital in Karu on the outskirts of Abuja, I marveled at the medical facility run by Indians to help with the difficult health challenges of Nigerians who cannot make it abroad for medical evaluation and treatment.
I took the right turn down a long corridor where I was led by Surajo Yusuf, North West representative on the board the Nigeria Basketball Federation to see the parents of Deborah Onah, the teenage basketball player struck with Tuberculosis of the spine . Mallam Surajo pointed to an elderly couple seated in the hallway, parents of the ailing Deborah Onah.
Mr John Onah and his wife Felicia sat with shoulders slumped. On the floor beside them was a ‘Janet’s bundle’ of food containers, empty plastic water bottles, possibly sleeping clothes and wrapper, maybe.
Mr Onah, in his 60s looked confused as he sat beside his wife.
“Good evening madam…”I greeted, looking towards the couple.
“Are you the parents of Deborah Onah?”
They looked up with a ray of hope on their faces , struggling out of deep seated despair, fatigue and resignation. “Yes I am the mother, and this is the father…” pointing to her husband.
Madam Felicia told me the story of her sick daughter. She looked tired and exhausted at past 8pm. According to her, they had been sitting in that hallway since morning.
“This started about six months ago. We spent over two months in Keffi Medical Centre after going to various places before we now came here.
“She woke up one day with pain in her back and it later came over to her chest. When we went to the hospital, we were told that she had ulcer. Despite all the medications, she never got well, rather she kept deteriorating.
”Before we came here, doctors had already opened her up in four different places. Two deep cuts under her two breasts and two holes at the back as well. I can’t explain the procedure but they said she had fluid in her lungs which kept coming back after it was drained.
“I knew it was bad when she couldn’t play basketball anymore because she loved basketball. She said that one day, she will use basketball to feed us… me and her papa…”
We were interrupted by a ward attendant who came to usher her into the Intensive Care Unit where her daughter Deborah was. I tagged along.
A shoe cover made of nylon, held with an elastic band at the ankle was worn over our shoes to avoid contaminating the unit and a spray of hand sanitizer before we were allowed in.
There were about 10 beds on each side of the Intensive Care Unit. Deborah and two other patients occupied three-bed spaces while an Indian male and female nurse practitioners monitored from a corner by the entrance. The patient next to Deborah was shielded with green hospital curtains.
Deborah looked frail. She had oxygen and fluids being administered on her. Another tube drained the fluid from her lungs. Her eyes were shut with her mouth half-open but she was asleep while labouriously trying to breathe.
She must have fought so hard to stay alive despite the previous wrong diagnosis and treatment she received over the months in various hospitals.
Her mother came closer… touched her face and called her name… then she sighed.
“They said I won’t be allowed to sleep with her overnight. I was told to go and come back tomorrow morning” she lamented.
I asked if Deborah was conscious and she answered in the affirmative. I asked if she ate and she said she did but just a little.
That gave me some hope. If she was still conscious and ate food, surely there was hope. Lots of hope.
I took close-up shots of Deborah and I said a short prayer for her with her mother. We reluctantly left the ICU before the nurses asked us out.
The hospital authorities normally don’t allow visitors at that time of the night.
Mrs Felicia Onah sells vegetables and petty foodstuff at Jikwegh market while the husband is a security man at Primary Health Centre Apo.
Deborah is the fifth of Madam Felicia’s eight children. I asked how she was coping with the strenuous responsibility saddled on her family.
“We have taken it one day at a time. My husband and I have spent the meagre resources we have. I have closed my petty foodstuff trading for months to look after my sick daughter while my husband has taken time off work too to support us.
“I am grateful to Nigerians for coming to our aid. For those who sent financial and moral support, we can’t thank you enough. But this is just the beginning of our journey. We have deposited the amount they told us to deposit which is three hundred and fifty thousand naira but that is just for her treatment to commence.
“On Monday, the doctors said they’ll continue with more tests including an MRI which alone is N90,000. They told us not to bring food for her because they feed and bathe and treat her. We just come and see her when they allow us because we are not even allowed into the Intensive Care ward always.
“I’m begging Nigerians to please assist us more. We need more money to deposit for the drugs and the surgery which will be performed after all tests and investigations. They haven’t told us what the entire treatment will cost but they are just taking it one stage at a time. Please come to our aid and save the life of my daughter”.
The father, Mr. Onah didn’t say much. He looked helpless as he strove to remain strong in adversity.
I left the hospital with a burden on my shoulders. You’re dead without money! Health is wealth. You never know what you have until you’re sick. Pray for Deborah Onah. They still don’t have enough to pay for the tests, surgery, medication and sundry.
Donate your little bit. Nothing is too little. N10, N100, N1000, N10,000 any amount will go a long way in saving the life of this 16-year old prospective WNBA player.
Bank details
Name: Onah John
Account Number: 1501043715
Heritage bank
Contact: +234-8124302333 or +234-8060873289
Please, help with your widow’s mite and let us save DEBORAH
