PENPUSHING MEMBER OFFERS SCHOLARSHIP TO 18 YEAR OLD BLIND GIRL, SARAH

The report caught the attention of the Penpushing platform member, who decided to take up the financial challenges to rehabilitate the lady, and subsequently secured admission for her at the School for the Blind in Lagos.

Penpushing further reports that, the sponsor who doesn’t want his name in print, equally paid Sarah’s tuition fee, alongside other academic expenses, and as at the time of filing this report, the lady resumed school on Monday.

It is recalled that, as the innocent girl was battling with this visual impairment, a man in the family neigbourhood took advantage of her plight and, impregnated her. The product of the ‘incident’ is a baby girl who as at the time of filing this report is seven months old.

Penpushing reports that, as Sarah resumed school to start a new life, the mother had taken over the welfare of the baby, to enable her (Sarah) concentrate on her rehabilitation and education. Ironically, the man who impregnated her has since disappeared into thin air.

However, Sarah’s mother during an interview expressed optimism that the runaway man will be located at all cost, adding that, a search party had been put in place.

Penpushing recalled that, earlier in an interview with Sarah, she narrated how her sight predicament started, saying, ‘It started  during my childhood days, I was still seven years old then, and we went to the hospital and I was told my condition was cataract, and on the line, my daddy died and then the condition got worsen’.

‘We didn’t have the money to go to the hospital and then after some years, I went back and I was told that I have another eye problem, which is eyeline detachment/cataract, and with that, the eye keeps getting worse and I now went back to the hospital and was told that we will need almost N700, 000 for surgery because that’s the only solution’, she said.

The family could not afford the hospital bill and made several efforts to seek for support over this worrisome development, having visited number of hospitals, to seek solution, but it dawned on them when the Eye Consultant at University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan broke the sad news of permanent blindness of the girl.

‘What we are planning is that when we went to University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, we were told that there is no solution to the eye again and it has been about three years, that I went to the place I was told I needed surgery, so as at now, there is no solution to it again. The money we are trying to raise is for the purpose of me going back to school, that is the school of the blind’, she explained during the interview.

Penpushing reports that, the University College Hospital (UCH) after medical checkup, issued her a referral letter with reference number Ajayi Sarah/1142291/F/18yrs, dated January 28, 2019 for her to go to University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital

The letter reads ,’Kindly see the above named patient who presents with 10 year background history of poor vision, BCS loss of vision RE x 8 yrs/sudden drop in vision on LEx3YRS.On examination VA(R) NLP (L) LP ith inaccurate projection,360 secctnissiopupilae in BES with partially  absorbed cataract with no view of fundal details ‘

The letter signed by Dr Oluleye added, ’Ocularuss(R) closed fugal retinal detachment with cystic formation. Patient has been counseled on account of poor visual prognosis. She is therefore being referred to you for rehabilitation and follow up care.

However, following the worrisome development, and couple with the distance of the rehabilitation centre, in Portharcourt,  a School for the blind in Lagos was considered as best option, in view of the fact that, the family resident in Abeokuta, which is about 45 minutes’ drive.

Penpushing also recalled that, a contact was made to the School for the Blind in Lagos, for her rehabilitation and to adjust to a new life, having herself showed eagerness to attend the college, and expressed optimism that she would make it in life.

Meanwhile, for those still interested to support Sarah for her two years education, which also includes her upkeep, such donations can go into her bank account with the Unity Bank Plc. The account details are; Ajayi Serak Morenikeji 0039642109