Nigerian teen needs N2m for leg amputation and prosthetic limb

Daniel Akanni, a 17-year-old Nigerian, faces a daunting challenge as he appeals for 2 million naira (approximately $1,300 USD) to undergo a life-altering surgery. The procedure involves amputating his left leg due to a severe deformity and fitting him with an artificial limb, a step he hopes will allow him to walk again and pursue his dream of studying Petroleum Engineering.

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I am pleading with Nigerians to help me walk again. My parents have expended all they had. Please help me. I have faith that the surgery will be successful. All I need is your financial help and God will bless you all as you do so.

Akanni was born with a congenital deformity in his left leg. While an initial surgery at 18 months old enabled him to walk, it left him with a noticeable limp as the corrected leg remained shorter than the other. His mother, Oluwatoyin, explained that the family sought further medical interventions, including a second surgery recommended by doctors. However, financial constraints prevented them from proceeding.

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He was born with the deformity of the left leg. When he was one and half years, we took him to Igbobi and they told us he would undergo for surgery. The surgery was done and it was successful. So he was able to walk then but the leg was shorter than the other. So, that made him limp and he was bending towards one side.

A subsequent surgery in 2020, part of a Lagos State Government free program, aimed to correct his gait. Tragically, this procedure worsened his condition, causing his leg to twist and rendering him unable to walk. Despite further attempts, including the application of POP casts, doctors at the facility stated they lacked the necessary instruments for correction, leaving the family in despair.

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We couldn’t afford the second surgery which would make him walk perfectly. So, in 2020, we heard that the Lagos State Government was organising a programme, ‘Hello Lagos’, a free surgery for children with K-leg. So, we applied and went for the surgery to correct the leg. It was done by some doctors at Gbagada. Despite the surgery, his condition worsened and the leg twisted and now he can’t walk again.

Following advice, the family returned to the National Orthopaedic Hospital, Igbobi. There, doctors determined that amputation from the knee and fitting an artificial limb was the only viable solution. The estimated cost for this surgery and prosthesis is 2 million naira, a sum the family cannot afford after years of medical expenses. Daniel Akanni now pins his hopes on the generosity of Nigerians to help him regain mobility and a chance at a normal life.

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So, people then advised us to take him back to Igbobi. We did but when the doctors saw his leg, they told us there is no solution than to amputate the leg from the knee and get him an artificial limb.