A seven-year-old girl of Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Testimony Mosunmade Adebayo has appealed to Governor Biodun Oyebanji and other kind-hearted Nigerians for financial assistance to help her live a healthy life.
It was gathered that Testimony has been battling with various health challenges since she was given birth to and managing the ailment has drained her parents’ purse drastically.
She was diagnosed with Tetralogy of Fallot, a heart disease and the parents have not been able to meet up with the cost of the surgery.
THE POINT learned that Testimony was born with the ailment and was growing up and the hospital has been managing it.
However, it started deteriorating and the hospital told her parents that Testimony only needed six months to get N8 million for an open-heart surgery.
“The operation cost was to be N6 million, when we were able to raise N5 million through loan and assistance from close relatives, when we took Testimony to the hospital. On getting to the hospital again, we were informed that the cost has gone up to N8 million. We were helpless at that moment because there was no other means to get the remaining N3 million. She was later rushed back to the hospital one day when her situation worsened and on getting to the hospital, they discovered she had another ailment in her lungs and we were told of the need to operate the lungs before they could even talk about the needed open heart operation. The money raised was then diverted into attending to the lungs. Now, we are back to the initial sum of N8 million for the open heart operation.
After the money realized was diverted into the lungs operation, the hospital management asked them to expedite actions in raising the sum of N8 million for the open-heart surgery in order to save Testimony’s life.
Out of the six months given, Testimony, who will clock eight years on July 25, this year, has already spent three months and only has three months to get the money for the medical intervention.
The parents of the patient had in September 13, 2024, written a Save Our Soul letter to the state governor, Biodun Oyebanji but the governor was yet to offer any assistance.
As at the initial time when Testimony needed N6 million for the open-heart surgery, her father, Samuel Opeyemi Adebayo, had written a letter of financial assistance to Oyebanji, which was officially received at the governor’s office.
The letter read, “I hereby write to humbly request for financial assistance in respect of my seven years old daughter Adebayo Testimony. She is diagnosed with congenital heart diseases (TETRALOGY OF FALLOT) done at the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital, (OAUTH) Ile-Ife, and she is presently managed at Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital Ado-Ekiti and the Doctor said that, the definitive care for the heart diseases is an open-heart surgery. This is being planned to be done at the OAUTH at an estimated cost of Six Million naira (N6, 000,000) only.
“I therefore plead for the government’s kind intervention, please help save my daughter, I will be very grateful if this request is positively granted.”
Over eight months gone, the parents said they have not received any help from the government.
They begged the governor and other well-meaning Nigerians to save their daughter from dying as they only have less than three months for the surgery.
“We are begging our governor and all Nigerians to please come to the aid of our daughter, Testimony. She is in critical condition and we have spent all we had saved in life. Every month, she has to do Eco test which costs N60, 000 and she also takes SE expensive drugs to keep living till the surgery will be done. We are appealing for help,” Testimony’s mother, Folake Adedayo said.
The family provided Testimony’s mother’s account details: 1708895130; Access bank; Adebayo Alaba Folake. This is the phone number of Mrs Adebayo: 806 226 3982.
Also joining the parents in appealing for help, the consultant pediatrician currently attending to Testimony at the Afe Babalola University Multi-System Hospital in Ekiti State wrote in a letter dated March 21, 2025, explaining the need for the surgery.
“Department of Paediatrics; 21st March, 2025; TESTIMONY MOSUNMADE ADEBAYO/AH058953/F/7 YEARS.
“The above named patient is being managed for Pentalogy of Cantrell with intrinsic cardiac pathology being Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF). Testimony has had a very turbulent clinical condition in the last six months and had a BT shunt done two weeks ago due to a grotesque presentation of severe hypercyanotic spell a few days before the surgery. Despite the successful outcome of the procedure (BT Shunt) which cost about Four million naira (N4,000,000), she will still need a definitive open heart surgery within the next six months which will cost about Eight million naira (N8,000,000).
“Kindly accord her and her caregivers the necessary support. Thank you. Yours faithfully, Dr. O.E. Bello; Consultant Pediatrician.”