The gift that changed my life

“My name is Toyin, I am 29 years old. I am the first child of my parents’ five children. I don’t know where they all are now. I have two little boys. I have been blind for about two years. I live in Lagos with the boys, but when I became blind, we were all abandoned by relatives and friends. Someone brought me to Ibadan from Lagos and dropped me at the Bodija market with the children. A good Samaritan provided a shelter for us.

“One day, as usual, I was led to the Bodija market to beg for money when someone I had never met before called me and asked, “What happened to your eyes?” I said, “I am blind. I cannot see.” I could not see the person but I could hear her voice. “I am Mrs Oyegoke,” she told me and pushed a piece of paper she said contained her address and phone number into my hand. That was in September 2012.

“I begged the good Samaritan to take me to Mrs. Oyegoke’s hospital at Eleta. When I got to the hospital, I was told, “You have blinding cataract in both eyes and too much sugar in your blood.” They say it is diabetes. I was taken to a nearby hospital for the treatment. They gave me daily injections and medicines and after one week said I could go home and continue my treatment at home. Mrs. Oyegoke took me to Eleta, but the doctor refused to remove the cataracts because the sugar in my blood was too much.

“It was difficult giving myself the injections because I could not see and there was no one to help me every time. After three visits to Eleta, the doctor decided to remove the cataract in one eye. That was in October 2012. When the eye cover was removed the following day. I could see clearly. This was the greatest gift I have ever received in my life – the gift of sight. What did I do to deserve it? It changed my life, gave me hope and independence and made it possible to be a mother to my children.”

That interview was granted in early 2013. Toyin’s life really changed. Now calamity is about to strike. Toyin has diabetes mellitus. If Mrs Oyegoke had not discovered her at the Bodija market, she would probably have been dead within three months from Diabetes. Her blood sugar was very high. The doctor said she would have gone into diabetic coma (that is become unconscious) within one or two days if she had not been discovered by Mrs. Oyegoke.

As long as the blood sugar was very high, cataract surgery could not be done without serious consequences. She was, therefore admitted briefly for treatment in a private hospital. When her fasting blood sugar was at an acceptable level she was discharged, but then the blood sugar started to rise again. Why? She needed insulin injections and there was no one to administer the injections to her. She was blind and had no one to look after her. The only alternative was take a calculated risk to perform cataract surgery in one eye so that she could take care of herself. This was done and with sight restored in just one eye, she has been able to take care of her diabetes.

The hospital gave her some money to trade with. She went back to Lagos and was selling bread loaves, Toyin is, however, not earning enough to buy the very expensive medicines for her diabetes and take care of her two children. Lately, things have gone really bad for her. We sent for her to come to Ibadan about four weeks ago. I was almost in tears when I saw her.

The Diabetes is back in full force and now with vengeance! She had lost weight and her two arms are almost gangrenous. That means she can lose them if her diabetes is not treated vigorously. In addition, hunger and deprivation were boldly written on the faces of her two children. She was in a serious predicament. Without urgent attention, an agonising death was imminent.

We quickly got her admitted into a private hospital and found someone to temporarily take care of her children. Two weeks in hospital, fetched us a bill of about N200,000, but danger is not averted. The hospital discharged her despite our assurances, possibly because of the fear of the impending gangrene running her bill up by several thousands more! We have been searching frantically for homes to take care of her children so we can get her admitted into another hospital. No luck yet. Her former benefactor is not willing to take the responsibility again. “Life,” she says, “is tough enough for me. I don’t need more complications.”

Toyin needs considerable financial help. But that is not all. She needs lots of prayers to avert the amputation of her arms. Her children need all the attention and care they can get at their age. Even if she survives all these, there are still grave consequences of untreated or poorly treated diabetes to face in the near future. If the gangrene of her arms progresses, they will have to be amputated. The legs too can follow! There is danger of irreversible blindness from retinal vascular complications of diabetes and danger of severe hypertension and subsequent kidney failure. And when this happens, death knocks at the door. What happens to her children?

Please help Toyin and her children this Christmas season. Don’t send me any Christmas cards or presents. Make this Christmas a memorable one for Toyin and her children. You may send SMS to 0805 400 5447 for more information on how to help.

Merry Christmas!