Orphan Whose Parents Were Slaughtered By Boko Haram, Six Others Volunteer To Donate Kidney To Dying Patient

Andrew Yakuba an indegene of Borno State whose parents were slaughtered by terrorist group Boko Haram in a Borno farm joined six other volunteers willing to donate a kidney to a patient.

Yakubu and other volunteers said on Reality Talk Magazine, a programme on Brekete Family, on Wednesday that their decision to volunteer came out of compassion for Sarah Akoji who needed a kidney to survive.

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Sarah, who is from Ankpa Local Government in Kogi State, was diagnosed with kidney problem and needed a kidney transplant.

Ahmed Isa, anchor of the progamme popularly called ordinary president, revealed Sarah’s situation to his guests.

He also revealed to guests that the patient was funded with N500,000 on Tuesday for dialysis which she did last in November 2021.

On Tuesday, the presenter solicited for volunteers to donate a kidney to Sarah.

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Six volunteers including a woman willing to donate their kidneys showed up on Wednesday during the programme.

Some of the volunteers are Yakubu, Philip Waya, a pastor, Felix Telimo, Olutosin Adedayo, Abbas Mohammed, Emmanuel Eze and Joy Ameh.

But the guests were amazed when Yakubu, who came with his guardian, Asuore Tunde Osigbeme, a pastor, told his story.

Yakubu said, “My parents are all dead. They died in the farm during a Boko Haram attack in 2012. That was what brought me to Abuja and I’m staying here in an Internally Displaced People (IDP) camp.

Yakubu said he has just finished learning how to barb.

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“We heard about the announcement and infact it touched the heart of everyone who watched the programme, so he told me he wants to donate and that saving someone’s life is one of the most important thing one has to do on earth here,” his guardian, Osigbome said adding, “If he were my biological son, my reaction will be positive. The world in which we live is transient- we have to be each other’s keeper.

“I did not inform my wife about the decision I made because she will not agree,” Telimo, a donor who is a father of two said.

The female donor, Joy, who is a security officer from Benue however revealed that she had consulted her 23-year-old son and her brother.

Joy said, “When I heard of the issue, I was so touched. I told myself that since I don’t have money to give to her. This one is not beyond me, It is within me and I can donate if they check and they say it is ok.

“If this is the only thing I can contribute, I will be glad to do it.”

In response, the presenter told the volunteers that they will have to rethink the decision.

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“We can’t accept that,” the presenter said, adding “you have to provide your relations and be convinced that the donation is service to God.

“You have two weeks to make up your mind, next Wednesday will be one week, the upper week Wednesday will be two weeks. You will come back at your will. It depends on how convinced you are. We don’t want any procedure that will endanger anyone’s life.

“But we have seen people who survived with one kidney. Mine is not complete as well.”

“I was shouting throughout the night and I’m feeling very very happy,” Sarah said on phone responding to the news of donors and the N500,000 donated for her dialysis

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