Hole-in-the heart girl still needs N2.5m for surgery
By: Chioma Umeha When her story broke recently, a number of sympathetic Nigerians expressed concern, giving her family hope that succour will soon come their way. However, several months have gone without help from anybody for young Fatima Usman as she continues to battle two life threatening ailments at the same time. Like her peers, Fatima had the dream of running around with her siblings and friends, studying to excel in school and become a successful legal luminary. Today, all these seem a tall dream as she silently awaits death with unusual calmness for a child of her age. At five, Fatima Usman’s life is gradually ebbing, and like a candle in the wind may be snuffed out soon, if urgent help does not come her way. According to the medical diagnosis, little Fatima has a heart disease and a life threatening malignant ulcer rapidly spreading to other parts of her body, and is about to render her armless. Before the diagnosis, Fatima was a bubbling child with big dreams,