Radio Station Gives Hope To Sick Child In Borno

The early hours of Tuesday spiked an unprecedented call for on-air donations to help Zainab Tahir Audu and four other sick patients in need of emergency redress in Maiduguri.

Zainab Tahir Audu, 10, has been battling congenital heart disease and was diagnosed and placed on conservative management until her health condition worsened recently.

Speaking on behalf of Zainab to CAMPUS REPORTER, her mother, Azza Tahir, says Zainab can hardly talk for 3 minutes without crying and she often faints due to a breathing difficulty caused by the ailment now.

“Initially, we thought with prayers and drugs we can manage her health until her doctor from the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH) suggested a definite intervention requiring an open heart surgery worth N3,500,000 million for heart treatment excluding post-operative care and logistics for the second time,” she said. 

She appealed to the government and other authorities to help them with the logistics and post-operative care expenses.

Azza Tahir was presented with a cheque of N3,500,000 and N50,000 cash by Representatives of Jaiz Bank Maiduguri, Ibrahim Abubakar and State Specialist Hospital Maiduguri (SSHM) Dr Abba Yusuf at Al-Ansar Radio and Television Maiduguri on the 22nd of October.

The General Manager, Al-Ansar Radio and Television Maiduguri, Nuhu Tahir, says the station raised over N7,000,000.00 within 25 hours of on-air appeals for five patients in need of surgeries.

“This donation was borne out of necessity to help the patients have a fruitful life as certified by UMTH and SSHM management adding that the contribution was a sign of unity in the state because from the alerts received, 50% were Muslims, and 40% are Christians while 10% are atheist/theist irrespective of economic status and ethnic differences.” 

Nuhu reiterated that the station will continue to follow up with the doctors to make sure the money Maiduguri and other states contributed for the children to acquire treatment is channelled appropriately.