"She Needs N8m For Surgery": Family Cries For Help as Daughter is Diagnosed With Heart Disease
- A Nigerian family has cried out to the public for financial assistance to pay for their daughter's heart surgery
- The little girl named Mercy Ankar has been diagnosed with a heart condition known as Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF)
- The family is calling on the public to help in raising the N8 million needed for the girl's surgery
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A Nigerian girl has been diagnosed with a rare heart condition, and she needs urgent surgery.
The girl, Mercy Ankar, is eight years old, but the condition was discovered when she was around two.
Source: Original
Information sent to Legit.ng by journalist Lois Ugbede, who interacted with the family, shows that Mercy was diagnosed with Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF).
Mercy diagnosed at Garki Hospital, Abuja
Some documents that were sent to Legit.ng showed that Mercy was diagnosed at the Garki Hospital, Abuja. Dr. Kayode Alabi, a pediatric cardiologist, signed the diagnosis.
Dr Alabi said:
“One of my patients has a hole in the heart. We have been trying to see how we can help her to have surgery, but it's been very difficult due to financial reasons. As the child is growing, if nothing is done about it, it can affect the child, and if care is not taken it can kill the child."
Parents cry to public for help
Meanwhile, Mercy's parents, John Ankar and his wife, Alice Ankar, do not have the financial capacity to pay for the needed surgery.
Alice, Mercy's mother, said:
“Her sickness is a result of a birth defect we discovered it when she was about two years and the cardiologist said that her hole is too wide and she must undergo heart surgery. As a result of this issue, my income could not match the expenses because she is placed permanently on treatment so right now I don't have any source of income again."
On his part, her father said the condition was discovered when they took her to the hospital for a different ailment.
His words:
“When we gave birth to her, she had a problem with her right hand so we took her to the defence medical centre in Abacha Barracks. The Dr there then started telling us that this baby has a problem with the heart so they now referred us to the National Hospital to take care of the hand. We later came across a corper doctor serving with Federal Medical Centre Jabi when we went for this medical outreach in our church. So when he saw the girl, he told us to bring the girl to Federal Medical Centre. I think that was where he was serving then. That was when they now told us that this is her problem. Then she was around one or two years. Since then they said she needs surgery but we said we don't have the money so she has been permanently treatment since then to manage the condition."
The parents are appealing to those willing to help to send financial assistance to this account: 0010934915, Ankar Atim John, Jaiz Bank. The family can be contacted on 0706 575 0165 and 0803 650 4176.
What is tetralogy of fallout?
According to Mayo Clinic:
"Tetralogy of Fallot is a rare condition caused by a combination of four heart defects that are present at birth (congenital). These defects, which affect the structure of the heart, cause oxygen-poor blood to flow out of the heart and to the rest of the body. Infants and children with tetralogy of Fallot usually have blue-tinged skin because their blood doesn't carry enough oxygen."
Missing baby found alive
In a related story, Legit.ng reported that a missing child was found where he was dumped by the lady who stole him.
Chinedu was abducted from his mother's hair-dressing salon by a lady who was said to have come there to learn work.
The baby's father, Chikezie Chuks, confirmed to Legit.ng in a telephone chat that his child has been found in good health.
Source: Legit.ng
