Three-year-old Divine needs N5 million for corrective surgeries

His birth, three years ago, to Mr. and Mrs. Joseph C. Emmanuel was supposed to bring joy. But that was not to be, as Divine was born with a defect described by doctors as bladder exstrophy, which is at present causing misery and pain to his parents. His bladder grows outside his abdominal wall and making him unable to urinate through his penis.

Doctors at birth had prescribed surgery to correct the defect. But after the first surgery, the bladder is still growing outside and further medical examinations were conducted at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Ituku- Ozalla, Enugu State, where it was confirmed that Divine would undergo four more different stages of corrective surgeries, which would include: functional bladder closure, bladder neck repair, epispadia repair and reflux surgery.

Since the diagnoses were made, his parents had done all within their ability to raise about N 5 million required for the surgeries, all to no avail.

His father, Mr. Chijioke Emmanuel, a taxi driver, said:“ I am appealing to Nigerians to save him. You can pay into FCMB, Account No. 3251364010 (Grace Sharon Emmanuel) or UBA, account name: Emmanuel Chizuruoke. Account No:
2078001642. Or call 081
48479789 and 08153380268.