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•Joshua Egbuchulam |
For Joshua Egbuchulam, a 15-year-old JSS2 student of Osusu Secondary School, Aba in Abia State, life is not the same again. The young Egbuchulam was living a normal life until January this year when a sharp object hit his upper nose and disfigures his face.
Thus he is sad as he is dying gradually from the problem which has turned him into a shadow of his former self.
Consequently, he no longer goes to school or comes out to play with his peers as they usually make jest of him by calling him “Pig Mouth.”
Indeed, this development is weighing the little lad down, mentally, and physically, making him to resort to weeping all day, particularly as he thinks about how fate has turned his once handsome face into a monster.
Sobbing, the young Egbuchulem told his story to Daily Sun:
I am Joseph Egbuchulam from Ikeduru in Owerri, Imo State. I am 15 years old and in JSS 2 when this incident occurred. A sharp object accidentally hit me on my upper nose region and it resulted into serious bleeding.
My parents took me to UNTH, Enugu, where we were told that it was the soft tissue, collecting mixed density in the anterior aspect of the nasal bridge, extending to the nasal cavity, and the collection is non-enhancing. Another soft tissue mass is seen in the posterior nasopharyngeal mucosal space. The nasopharyngeal air way is moderately compromised.
After their finding, I was told that an operation will be carried out with 10 fresh frozen plasmas. And that the operation cannot be done without the fresh frozen plasma and that if done without it that I might die as a result of bleeding.
I was later referred to a specialist hospital in India, where the operation will be carried out at the cost of $7,000, an equivalent of N1,106,000.
My mother has sold all she has because of my ill health and it is against this background that I come to solicit for assistance through The Sun, to call on the good people of Nigeria and beyond to help me out of this situation.
Anyone who wants to help me to live can reach me on these GSM numbers: 08064162432 or 07056499575 or alternatively pay into DMC First Bank Acct No: 10130103229101or Intercontinental Bank Acct No: 0011110000717437.
Joseph, indeed, deserves pity and help as his mother, Madam Lynda, is a petty trader, and had as a result of the son’s predicament sold off her articles of trade to see that the health of her son improved, but to no avail.
Joseph’s father, Mr Isaac Egbuchulem, used to be an Okada rider, but has been thrown out of job since Okada operation was banned in Abia State.
His uncle, Mr Dominic, who spoke to Daily Sun, said that when the incident occurred, it resulted into swollen nose, which the family started treating as a minor injury.
“But the more they were treating him, the more it was getting worse. It was after they had spent their life savings without success that they went to UNTH, Enugu where scanning was carried out and it was discovered that one of the nose veins was broken into two. As a result, the blood that is supposed to pass through that vein is now dropping into another place. This has developed into internal bleeding, which collects at a point and flows out whenever it is filled up. And this blood comes out of his nose in a congealed form. It is always very painful for him as he cries almost all the time.
It is this collection of blood that has formed this lump on every part of his face, which makes his mates to call him ‘pig mouth’.
The experts said that the plasma that is supposed to be used for the operation is not even available in this country.
The problem has gulped his petty trader mother’s business capital such that feeding has become a Herculean task for the family.
It is about eight months since this thing started and the boy can no longer go to school.
Until January this year, he was a charming young boy, whose hand is sought for friendship by his associates and fellow students.
But today, his condition has made him an outcast, one who can no longer stay in the company of his school mates and play mates for fear of being ridiculed or made jest of.
Joseph is the third child in a family of five children, three boys and two girls. An upcoming footballer, who, if he lives, is believed, would make Nigeria and the entire human race proud in the game of football.
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