I lost her father six years ago, I don’t want to lose her too, says distraught mother
KUNLE AKINRINADE
Nothing could have given the Adegbite family the premonition that evil was lurking in the dark on Wednesday April 27, 2011. Sadly, it was the day kerosene explosion occurred at their residence in Itele, Ota , Ogun State. Their daughter, Shakirat, was severely burnt and she is at the moment battling for her life at the emergency ward of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Idi- Araba, Lagos.
On the fateful day, she was inside their room with a friend. There was a power outage and the 22 year-old apprentice tailor wanted to lit the lantern when it suddenly exploded with a loud noise.
On her bedside at LUTH, she cut a pitiable sight while sharing her heart rending experience with The Nation.
Hear her:”I was inside the room with one of my friends that night. Then there was no light and I lit the lantern and while I was trying to adjust the lantern, it blew up with a deafening sound”.
She explained further how her dress caught fire and her fruitless attempt to quell it which eventually made her to suffer first degree burns.
She said: “The next thing was that my wrapper was on fire. I struggled frantically to put it off but before I could do that I was already burnt seriously. Although some neighbours tried to salvage the situation but their efforts did not help much. I was rushed to a nearby hospital in the area before I was later referred to LUTH.”
She explained that her parents had exhausted their savings on her treatment adding that doctors at the hospital said she would need N2.5million for an urgent operation to save her life.
“I am an apprentice and I don’t have any money. My parents and some of my friends have been sustaining me but now I need the assistance of the state governments and kindhearted Nigerians to undergo operation. For now, it is almost a hopeless situation because there is no money to cater for my treatment anymore while my condition could worsen in the next few days”
Recalling the incident, the distraught mother of the victim, Mrs. Tinu Adegbite-Olusesi, in an emotion laden voice threw more light into how the incident happened.
She said:” I never knew until now that kerosene could cause explosion. She (Shakirat) was actually the person I sent to buy the inflammable kerosene two days before the incident .On the day of the incident; I was at the back of our building when a power outage occurred. She had poured kerosene into the lantern and it was while she lit the lantern that it exploded. Her screaming attracted me and everyone around and we rushed in to the room to see what had happened. We got into the room only to find out that her wrapper had caught fire while fire was all over her”
“Neighbours around poured detergent water on her body to quench the fire while some applied egg yoke on her body to contain the burns on her body. We then rushed her to the Ota General Hospital where she stayed for one week before moving her to LUTH on doctors’ advice”.
She explained how she sold a landed property among other personal belongings to take care of Shakirat’s treatment adding that the family is currently facing serious financial predicament.
“Since the incident happened I have virtually sold everything I have laboured for in life to take care of my daughter because I know that if she’s alright and blessed she will take care of me too. I sold a plot of land at Itele for N200, 000 thinking that the money would be enough to take care of her treatment. I have also sold some of my personal belongings like jewellery, deep freezer among others all to no avail. I have spent over N300, 000 most especially on drugs and other items for her treatment and I am now left with nothing”.
She also recalled how she lost her husband a few years ago and the the pains of caring for her children.
“We moved into our house about six years ago but my husband (Shakirat’s father) died four years ago and I have ever since been saddled with the burden of taking care of my three children. Shakirat finished her secondary education a few years ago and she opted to train as a tailor because she did not want to place additional burden on me by furthering in her education”
She further explained that N2.5 million will be needed to restore Shakirat’s health and that the family can no longer afford to take care of further treatment at the hospital.
Hear her:”Doctors have said that we must provide N2.5million for Shakirat’s surgery which will enable her to get back on her feet once again but I am helpless now. I don’t have any money”
“Therefore, I am appealing to well meaning Nigerians to come to my rescue so as to take care of Shakirat. It was six years ago when I cried profusely following the death of my husband and I don’t want to lose my daughter again”, she added.
To this end, financial help should be forwarded to Fidelity Bank Plc account number 6018030375 while the mother of the victim can be contacted on 08063701059.
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