It takes a Heart

In October 2017, a great Edo son from the Central District, Kingsley Ohens, put out a broadcast to raise funds for a 16 year old child, Bright Usiholo to get heart surgery in India. He needed heart surgery urgently to save his life, Bright’s father was a bike man (Okada) and could not afford it. Omololu Ojehomon got the broadcast and called Mr. Ohens if indeed this was true, he confirmed it with photos of the admitted child in the Irrua specialist hospital as well as reports with the permission of his father. She then re-broadcast it using several media, when another great Edo son from North district, who wishes to remain anonymous, contacted her of free heart surgery coming up in Abuja in September 2017 by the Spem Quia Filii Foundation.

Immediately, contact was made with Dr. Patrick Uwubanmwen initiator and founder of the foundation, who requested for Bright’s documents to determine if he qualified for surgery. At short notice Bright was added to the list and was prioritized as number 2 for surgery and National Hospital Abuja where the heart surgeries was to take place was notified.

On September 21, 2017, a team of three which included Omololu Ojehomon, Mr, Kingsley Ohens and Mr. Gbenga Ajiboye left Benin for Irrua Specialist Hospital to pick up Bright Usiholo and his father, Mr. Tony Usiholo and continued to Abuja. Our anonymous Edo son housed us for free at a hotel in Abuja for the first four days. With others like Benson Okoloise, Asiwaju Ehi Gideon Ijie, Prince Godsent and more calling out to the public to raise funds, made our travel easy. Mr. Felix Akhabue also provided accommodation for an extended period of time for free at Supreme Hotels Ltd, In Abuja.

At the National Hospital, Abuja, Bright was screened and the cardiology team ordered a CT angiography for him, which was done. On the September 27, 2017, the results were collected and submitted. After they reviewed the result of the scan these were their submission. Bright’s operation was planned for based on the ECO report sent from Irrua Specialist Hospital to them in UK. Bright cannot be operated on because the result from the CT angiography shows complications for which the team was unprepared for. It was clearly more than what the ECO report showed which we submitted prior to their arrival. The team is unwilling to risk Bright’s life by performing the operation without the tools to sustain him. Bright stands a 50% survival rate without the machine to aid pressure during the operation. The medications which he currently takes will sustain him in the meantime. The surgeons will take Bright’s report to their UK hospital to properly study and analyze it and get set for him early next year. If the surgery is to be done in the UK they will pay part of the medical and flight fare, while we will pay part. 

In June 2018, Omololu Ojehomon got a phone call from Dr. Patrick Uwubanmwen that a hospital in the UK had agreed at an almost 85% discount to do the heart surgery on Bright, it will take 24 hours only to get all Bright’s flight documents, but they were looking for a licensed family to house Bright post surgery for an extended period of time. In July 2018, the National Hospital, Abuja sent a text to Mr. Tony Usiholo to bring his son for a follow-up, he failed to do so. In August 2018 Bright Usiholo died after a crisis at the Irrua Specialist Hospital, in Edo State. May his soul Rest In Peace Amen.

More determined now to get help for children in Edo State who suffered from heart disease and alarmed at the high percentage of children born with it. Omololu Ojehomon continued to work with Dr. Patrick Uwubanmwen until she was able to get slots for the children in Edo State.

It is one of the priorities of Omosede Global Foundation to help as many children get heart surgery in the state and country.

We are grateful to everyone who donated in one way or the other to save Bright’s life and May God bless all those who walked this journey with us.