SARAH, BLIND GIRL ON PENPUSHING SUPPORT LOSES MOTHER

The 20 year old blind girl, Sarah Ajayi  who has been undergoing rehabilitation and currently a second year student of School for the Blind in Lagos, courtesy of some elders of the Penpushing platform has lost his mother on Friday.

Penpushing reports that the death of the mother  was made known on Friday by an  official of the School, who lamented that Sarah is currently dejected following the sad development, while it is recalled that her plight  caught the attention of  the Penpushing platform and took it up as part of the organisation’s social responsibility.

The plight of the girl, who is also a mother of one year old child caught attention of a leader on the Penpushing  platform, 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 one year tuition fee, alongside other academic expenses, and in the same vein another member resolved to take up the tuition fee for her final year in school.

The girl last Monday resumed school after the holiday, but ironically few days after, the mother who has been taken care of Sarah’s daughter while in school suddenly gave up the ghost following a brief illness, and before now the father is late.

The final year bereaved Sarah, when contacted was crying profusely, as she also confirmed the sudden demise of her  40 year old mother, adding that she received the news of her mother’s death through a relative, lamenting that she is in another round of dilemma.

Penpushing also reports that, the background of Sarah plight started when she was in SS class, and started  battling with visual impairment which claimed her two eyes, a man in the family neigbourhood took advantage of her plight and, impregnated her.

The late mother, it is recalled that, 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, but as at the time of her death, the man who impregnated Sarah was still on the run.

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.

Penpushing reports that, 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, the sudden death of her mother is said to be ‘double tragedy’, for the innocent girl, who before now has adjusted to a new life, and doing well in her school, as one of the promising student of the school.

Penpushing reports that, the Editorial Board noted that Sarah needed more assistance at this level, having become a blind orphan, so that her life will not be in jeopardy and for any support, the Management of Penpushing Media called on well-meaning Nigerians, Corporate bodies to contact the board through email penpushing@ yahoo.com or Sarah’s telephone contact 07064647604