A three-year old boy, Farid Oyeleke, who is suffering from recurrent fever and neck swelling as a result of cancer of the blood would need N15 million and perhaps a stem cell transplantation to survive.

"The boy's sickness started about six months ago when he started running high temperature. He was treated in many clinics but not much progress was recorded and he is currently receiving treatment at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH)," his father, Oyebode Oyeleke, said.

According to Mr Oyeleke, "Initially we started treating malaria and typhoid but the ailments persisted and once he got slightly exposed to cold, he started coughing so much so that even an adult that coughs like that will not feel comfortable." He added that four months ago when his son's body temperature got so high, it became glaring that his medications were not effective. "We were admitted at a specialist hospital in Offa, in Kwara State for about a week. The temperature came down, we then came home but two weeks after that, the temperature really increased. He was also coughing. We attended another clinic at Offa for another treatment but it got worse." Mr Oyeleke narrated that it was only when his son was taken to UITH that the doctors diagnosed his ailment as cancer of the blood, adding that the doctors proceeded to transfuse blood into his son.

"The doctors recommended he has high chances of survival if he is treated abroad preferably India because of the advancement in medicine, and affordable range. We need about N15 million for the medical bill and other expenses to be incurred for the treatment."

Cancer of the blood

According to one of the doctors at the teaching hospital, Olasunkami Adegboye, "the child has cancer of the blood and cannot withstand any stress of infection" Dr Adegboye also said that "there are three major aspects of the management: remission induction, then you consolidate on that and then subsequent maintenance that will take for two or three years' treatment," he said.

The ill boy's father has made an appeal for Nigerians to come to his aid. He lamented, "I am appealing to Nigerians, public and private establishments, organisations, non governmental organisations and international agencies to please assist me save the life of my son. I do not have the means to cater for the expenses. I am just a farmer and people know how difficult the economic situation is in the country. I do not have the money and I do not even have the means to raise the money on my own." So far, the family has been able to raise only N500,000.

Donations: Donors can pay their donations into these accounts: Oyebode Oyeleke, United Bank of Africa PLC, No. 00120020020991 and 00120520119683