17 years after he nearly plunged into death, songstress Stella Monye’s only child Ibrahim Onyenmchi Amusan is still battling for life.
Ibrahim damaged his left kidney, bladder and urethra when he fell off a scaffoldings while trying to adjust an overhead water tank in 1999.
The incident happened in the house of a friend he went to call for their after-school lessons. The friend had not taken his bath when Ibrahim got to his place because of lack of water.
At the friend’s request, Ibrahim, then 11, climbed the scaffoldings to fix the water tank faucet. But on his way down, he slipped and fell on a sharp object that lacerated his urethra.
His mother was not around when the incident happened but his grandmother rushed him to hospital at Monye’s request. Monye thought it was a minor case, which could be dealt with at any hospital. The musician told The Nation that she was in Abuja, rehearsing with others for the Nigeria ’99 theme song towards the hosting of the FIFA U-21 World Cup when it all happened.
Ibrahim was treated at the Ikeja General Hospital but there was a relapse for which he has been in and out of medical emergencies within and outside the country. The last surgery was done by Dr Quptar at Medanta Global Hospital, in Gorgon Hariana New Delhi, India
Monye recalled how Lady of Songs, the late Christy Essien-Igbokwe led other musicians to raise fund for her son’s treatment. “After failed surgeries, over the years, particularly the one done in India in 2014, I with other artistes like K1, Daddy Showkey, Orits Wiliki, Onyeka Onwenu, Lagbaja! and Pasuma, held a road show to appeal for funds. But I stopped the campaign when it was discovered that so many people were using it to fleece the public including those in the diaspora without remitting the money for my son’s treatment,” said Monye.
Ibrahim, who has acquired, some qualifications in Information Communication Technology (ICT) online needs about $50, 000 for fresh surgery.
In a letter to the family, Dr Ayo Gomih of the Urology Centre in Indiana, United States (U.S) assured Ibrahim that he would get the best of treatment.
After evaluating the x-rays and medical reports sent to him by Monye and LASUTH’s Dr A. Abolarin, Dr. Gomih said Ibrahim would spend about a month in the US because of the complexity of the case. He cited the extent of the damage to Ibrahim’s urethra from the original injury and the multiple procedures he has undergone in Nigeria and India.
Ibrahim is expected to do few days of pre-surgical workup and few days of post-surgical hospitalisation. He would also require about two weeks of post-surgical office follow-up to minimise complications.
Since the incident, Monye has been helping the 28-year-old Ibrahim, who lost his father in 1999, with such things as eating, walking and personal hygiene. But she is now hard-pressed.
“Since the over 17 years experience has occurred, I have had to care for my son through his eight surgeries, recoveries and as his condition deteriorated, he is permanently on catheter and in constant pains. And I have not really engaged in any money making ventures that could fund such procedure. I need everybody’s financial assistance now to get this done,” Monye said.
Donations can be sent to Stella Monye, First Bank account number 2021451638. She can be reached on: 2348037305052.
The Nation