FMC board chair secures N8m for schoolgirl’s heart surgery
Chairman of the Board of Management at Federal Medical Centre, Idi-Aba, Abeokuta, Dr. Dayo Israel, has facilitated an N8 million donation to cover the cost of surgery for a teenage secondary school student, Rachel Idowu, suffering from a congenital heart defect.
According to her doctor, Idowu was born with lung complications, a condition that has significantly affected her growth, school participation, and ability to perform daily tasks.
A statement issued on Monday by the hospital’s Head of Information and Public Relations, Dr Segun Orisajo, detailed how the teenager’s fortune changed when the board chairman brought her case to the attention of his friend, Mr Olawale Ayilara, who immediately stepped in to cover the cost of her surgery.
The statement quoted Dr Israel to have said, “My very good friend, Mr Ayilara drove to Federal Medical Centre Abeokuta over the weekend to inspect the facility and see which building he can adopt for rebuilding and maintenance by his Landwey Investments.
“During his visit, I brought to his attention the case of a 16-year-old teenager with a hole in the heart. He instantly paid the N8m being the estimated cost of the surgery.”
Speaking, Ayilara thanked God for the grace to be of assistance in such a dire situation, while calling on other Nigerians to learn to support one another for a better world.
Idowu and her mother, Mrs Modupe Idowu were also said to be full of gratitude to the hospital board chairman and his friend for the humanitarian gesture saying, “We had lost every hope because there was no way we could have raised the surgery fee.”
Also speaking the Medical Director, Prof Adewale Musa-Olomu, said the FMC Abeokuta is currently performing over 40 per cent of open heart surgeries being carried out in hospitals across Nigeria.
The Chairman, who had been engaging key stakeholders towards the holistic development, turn-around and repositioning of the hospital to a world-class standard has renewed his clarion call to well-meaning Nigerians and corporate organizations to come to the aid of the Centre.
“I invite you all to visit us and see how you can help us to grow the Centre together”, Israel pleaded.
He thanked his friend, Ayilara for the kind donation and the structure he will be rebuilding at our centre “
