Posted by By AZOMA CHIKWE on
Erobhonrhen Okoduwa, a computer network engineer, at Gbagada may not practise his profession any longer because his right hand....
Erobhonrhen Okoduwa, a computer network engineer, at Gbagada may not practise his profession any longer because his right hand and three fingers of his left hand have been amputated at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH).
Okoduwa's predicament started last May 2, when he attempted to rescue a boy being electrocuted after a heavy downpour in the evening of the day at Sawmill area of Gbagada.
Unfortunately, the boy he was trying to rescue died same day at Gbagada General Hospital as his hands, head, buttocks and legs were badly burnt by current from the naked wire.
After the ugly incident, Okoduwa too was taken to Gbagada General Hospital unconscious. Luckily, doctors there were able to revive him. But because of the complexity of the burns he sustained and shock that jolted him, he was transferred to LUTH for further treatment and management.
Okoduwa's treatment took a new turn at LUTH when doctors there said that due to the degree of burns sustained and the extent of damage done on the affected parts of the body such as his hands, amputation cannot be avoided.
With both hands amputated, the computer engineer, who just got admission to Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma to further his studies in engineering do not see any reason to live anymore. In the bid to persuade him to give life a second chance, doctors at LUTH have recommended artificial limbs for the young engineer that will cost $18,000 or about N2.4 million.
Speaking with Daily Sun, elder brother and guardian of the boy, Eigbiluese, said, 'I have been giving him encouragement that arrangements are underway to procure artificial limbs for him. I contacted a company in the United States that deal in artificial limbs and was told that artificial limbs for the right hand will cost at least $9,000 or roughly N1.2m."
'So, for the two hands, we will require roughly $18,000 (N2.4m). The name of the company is Living Skin, they stock and sell artificial parts of the body, limbs, nose, ears etc.
On the tragedy that befall his brother, Eigbiluese said it is most regrettable that in a bid to save a life, he too was electrocuted. He disclosed that the entire family has been disorganized by the tragedy, their mother has been sleeping at LUTH since he was transferred there to take care of him, the family has been drained financially and he has not been discharged.
According to Eigbiluese, 'From Gbagada General Hospital we were refered to LUTH and he was admitted immediately. Despite the operation carried out on him at Gbagada General Hospital on the hands because they were swollen then, at LUTH doctors said it has been confirmed that the right had cannot be saved, it has to be amputated. So, they amputated the right hand about 4 inches from the wrist and on the left hand, they amputated the first three fingers, the thumb and the next two fingers, leaving him with only two fingers."
'He has been taken to the theatre almost five times, and each time he goes to the theatre, it costs, at least, a N100,000 including the drugs and everything we need to buy for the surgery. Each day to buy food and drugs for his upkeep, I spend more than N6,000. I spend this on daily basis; and this is the money that was meant for something else. Infact, I saved the money to do part-time studies at Lagos State University (LASU)."
'My biggest headache now is how to raise about N2.4million or $18,000 to buy artificial limbs for him, because I don't want to start giving him excuses when he gets well that I cannot provide them for him; for that is the only hope he has now."