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Blind Nigerian man appeals for funds for sight-saving surgery in India
🇳🇬 Nigeria /Health & Science

Blind Nigerian man appeals for funds for sight-saving surgery in India

From Vanguard · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Context piece
  • Ayoola Idowu, who became permanently blind after a radiotherapy procedure, needs N15.2 million for a cornea transplant in India.
  • Donations have provided basic support, but the family faces deepening hardship, forcing his children out of school.
  • Idowu appeals to President Tinubu and Nigerians for financial aid to fund the life-saving surgery.

Ayoola Idowu, a father of two who says he became permanently blind following a radiotherapy procedure, remains in darkness as he struggles to raise the N15.2 million required for a cornea transplant in India that doctors believe could restore his sight.

I sincerely thank every Nigerian who came to my rescue. Without those donations, my family would probably have been on the streets.

— Ayoola IdowuIdowu expressed gratitude for the N1,156,413 donated to him and his family.

While donations from compassionate Nigerians have provided some relief, securing a modest one-bedroom apartment and covering basic medical and living expenses, the larger goal of funding his sight-restoring surgery remains out of reach. The family's hardship has intensified, with his children forced out of school due to unpaid fees.

All I want is to regain my sight so I can work again and take care my family. As I speak, my children are no longer in school because we cannot pay their fees.

— Ayoola IdowuIdowu described his family's deepening poverty and his children's inability to attend school due to unpaid fees.

Idowu expressed deep gratitude for the N1,156,413 donated, stating it prevented his family from becoming homeless. However, the temporary relief is overshadowed by his inability to earn a living and the growing poverty. "All I want is to regain my sight so I can work again and take care of my family," he said, his voice breaking as he spoke of his children's education slipping away.

Hope, however, still exists. Following consultations with Max Healthcare Hospital, Gurgaon, India, Idowu has been informed that he is a candidate for a cornea transplant, offering the possibility of restoring his vision.

— Vanguard (NG)The article highlights the possibility of restoring Idowu's sight through a cornea transplant in India.

Hope for a second chance exists through a cornea transplant at Max Healthcare Hospital in India, estimated to cost approximately $11,000 (about N15.2 million) for treatment, travel, and accommodation. With no source of income, Idowu is making a renewed appeal to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Federal Ministry of Health, corporate organizations, and philanthropists for assistance.

I am begging President Tinubu to please come to my rescue. I appeal to the Federal Government and kind-hearted Nigeria

— Ayoola IdowuIdowu makes a fresh appeal to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and other Nigerians for financial assistance.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Vanguard in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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