Help for Yinka Popoola.

Culled from National Mirror

Like every human being, Yinka Popoola came into the world with a lot of hope: the hope that saw her through life into adulthood; that things will get better for her in life as she grows older. These hope, however, are rapidly dimming, by the day, as she seems to be losing the battle with cancer disease that has turned her into destitute. A once beautiful woman is now avoided by family and despised by friends.

Her body continues to shrivel daily, so many promises of succour have gone unfulfilled, yet Yinka is still hopeful onto God and expectant that good-natured Nigerians would come to her aid. But only time would tell if her hope would go in vain or not.

It all began some few years ago when Mrs. Popoola discovered a small itchy swelling close to her nose. She immediately called her husband’s attention. However, her man dismissed it as a mere boil which will grow to its peak and unleash the puss that had gathered therein.

Narrating her story, Yinka said, “The ailment started over three years ago. When it began, it was but a small boil by the side of my nose. It seemed, at first, nothing to bother about. But then it continued to itch terribly and I had to regularly scratch it. I showed it to my husband who sooner noticed it anyway. He initially dismissed it as a mere boil. But when it started growing a little bit bigger, I called his attention to it again and told him that it must be a skin infection. He casually dismissed my suggestion, insisting that it was a mere boil which would soon ripe and pour out its puss.”

Soon days rolled into weeks, weeks into months without an end in sight. Disturbingly, however, the boil had grown bigger and scary. At that point, her husband, family and friends suggested she seek help.

Finding a solution to the ailment, unfortunately suffered a setback in her case. This is because of her humble background. With little or no formal education, her restrictive knowledge made her not to get help as no one was forthcoming with financial help. They either said there was no money or they started avoiding her.

Months after, the small swell had grown very big. People, who came close to her, gave only suggestions, urging her to seek medical attention. While the number of her friends gradually waned, her family members were becoming apprehensive; still the hopeful Yinka as her family and friends fondly referred to her when the going was good, trudged on in search of a permanent solution to her problem.

Her dotting husband was a pillar of strength until the situation seemed irredeemable.

But no help was in sight. One morning, her husband walked out on the family, abandoning her and her two children to fate. By then, the swelling had become a scar with a massive scary swelling.

After suffering in silence for several weeks and having exhausted the small savings left from her wound down business, she, assisted by her two children aged 11 and 8 years old, stumbled out of the house spilling into the street in Ayobo area of Lagos in search of their daily bread which took them as far as Mowe in Ogun State on foot, with her children travelling in barefoot.

It was at the The Redeemed Christian Church of God camp that providence crossed her path with a Good Samaritan who gave her some money and directed her to the Lagos University Teaching Hospital for diagnosis.

Narrating the event, she said, “It was there that a particular man gave me money after seeing my condition, urging me to proceed to the hospital immediately. He actually directed me to the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH).

“I followed his advice and immediately went to LASUTH with the money that he gave to me. At the hospital, after a scan and several X-rays, I was told that the sickness can be treated by surgery. What is left now is the actual surgery, but help has not been forthcoming from anywhere,” Yinka said.

After loafing around the premises of the hospital for days, she finally hit the streets again; trudging from one bus stop to the other, where she often sat in pain and dejection with her scary-look begging for alms just as she hopes help would come from somewhere soon. Unfortunately, the alms are not coming, and when it does, it comes in meagre and can only buy one grungy meal whenever.

A despondent Yinka now cries to the general public to come to her aid to enable her seek surgical treatment which will run into about N3.2 million, which could be paid into GTB Account number 0128760777 or call telephone number 08143122984.