Sickle Cell Ravages Home; 2 Kids Dead, Another 2 On Danger List

 The family of Mr and Mrs Ben Udebuani appears to be an endangered one with four out of their seven sons already knocked down ...by sickle cell anaemia. In fact, two of the already affected are dead now while another two are on danger list.
This is the painful story of the couple who hail from Nnewi, Anambra State and live in Lagos where the husband sells motor spare parts.
They had got married in 1986 absolutely ignorant of their genotype to live happily and raise children that will care for them in their old age but that dream seems to have been shattered as the deadly ailment has continued to ravage the family and dried up their resources. Having suffered in silence for some years and unable to bear the agony of their marriage, the couple decided to open up on their plight for others to learn from and hopefully get some help which they desperately need.
According to them, their 20-year-old son, Somtochukwu is battling for survival at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Teaching Hospital Nnewi due to kidney failure. Their second son, Chukwudera had died at the age of two while their first son, Onyedikachukwu died last year at the age of 23. Both Onyedikachukwu and Somtochukwu had renal evaluation in India in 2012 where they were confirmed of having kidney failure. While the late Onyedikachukwu’s case was more serious then, it was detected that Somtochukwu’s case was in stage one. Since then, they had been on conservative management, until the first son died last year. Same year, Somtochukwu’s case worsened. He was comfirmed at a Specialist Medical Centre in Lagos to be having a deteriorating kidney function and recurrent leg swelling, and, therefore, required a fistula access in preparation for haemodialysis, preparatory to a kidney transplant as well as bone marrow transplant at an estimated cost of N15 million.
A visit to their Iba, Lagos, home would confirm that things are no longer at ease for the once happy and comfortable couple. They have gone through hell trying to cater for their affected children. Findings bySaturday Sun revealed that when the couple had their first child, Onyedikackwu in 1987 who became a victim of the anaemia, they did not find out the root cause of the problem.
Their first knowledge of the problem was when their second child, who died at the age of two as a result of the sickle cell became sick and was taken to the hospital where the couple were asked to do a blood test. The result of the test confirmed that both have the same ‘AS’ blood group.
Based on medical advice, the couple ought not to have married each other to avoid raising children who are sicklers.
The distressed father of the victims, Ben Udebuani explained that his family has gone through a lot of physical and psychological trauma as a result of the money ‘sucking –disease’ ravaging his family.
According to him, after expenses on the various dialyses, purchase of drugs, and the general upkeep of the affected children, there is nothing left to feed or even pay medical bills.
His words: “You could imagine what a couple that has four sickle cell anaemia victims would go through. We have been managing them here in Nigeria. After some years, someone advised that we should take them to India for a vaccine that could sustain them for about five years. So, we gathered the money we had and took two of them to India in 2012. It was there they found out that the first son’s case was more serious, while Somtochukwu was in the first stage of kidney failure. They recommended transplant. But we could not afford the cost. So, we returned to look for the money. And it was in the process, that our first son, Onyedikachukwu died last year.”
Udebuani told Saturday Sun that immediately after the death of his first son, which was the second death the family witnessed as a result of sickle –cell anaemia, the third victim, Somtochukwu’s case deteriorated while they continued the battle to save him. “Somtochukwu’s case became worse around May 2013 and in June we took him to a Specialist Medical Centre in Lagos. But due to the high cost of dialysis on him, we decided to take him to Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, Nnewi, Anambra State. They charged us N45,000 for dialysis as against N120,000 we were charged in Lagos. So, due to lack of finance, we opted for NAUTH and he has been there with my wife for about one month now”, a visibly downcast father stated.
Udebuani, who was one of those in his community that made money early in life through motor spare parts business, regretted that the health condition of his children has gulped all the money he has and now is out of business.
“I was among those that established trade fair market in Lagos from Idumota market. I sold the two shops I had to save my sickle cell children. The fish pond business I set up at Iba town, Ojo, Lagos, later collapsed because I used the little proceeds from it to cater for them. We are only surviving through the little salary my wife is receiving as a teacher. Despite all our efforts, our children are dying, two are dead already, and the third one is struggling to survive”, he added.
Sounding frustrated but willing to let others learn from their mistake in their choice of marriage no matter the level of love involved, Udebuani said: “It is really bad that this is happening to us as a couple. In fact, this is a mistake that has really cost my family a lot. During our time, we did not know what sickle cell anaemia is and what causes it. Also, doing blood test before marriage to know one’s status was not common. Then, if you see woman you like, you approach her, and if she agrees to marry you, then, you go to her family for marriage. We wedded in the Church immediately after our marriage and there was no request that we should go for test as being done these days. Otherwise, we would have known.”
Explaining further, he said: “After the test, it was found out that we are both ‘AS’. When we found out, we were confused and did not know what to do. We could not divorce as a result of that. Moreover, I cannot go for a second wife due to my Catholic faith. Therefore, after some thoughts, we decided to continue the marriage.”
It was gathered that the fourth sickler, Chinwendu, who is an undergraduate in Lagos, already has a sore on the leg while his case is yet to degenerate into kidney failure level.
Already sapped by the enormity of the medical challenge, the couple is also encumbered in taking care of their other three sickle cell-free children: Kenechukwu, a student of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka; Oluchukwu, and the last child, Chukwudalu who are both in post primary institutions.
The 57-year-old father, therefore, appeals to the government, corporate bodies, religious groups, organisations and individuals to come to the aid of his family to save his dying children. “I need financial support to save my children, especially Somtochukwu, whose condition in now critical by carrying out the kidney transplant in India as recommended”, he pleaded.