On the night of 28th of February 2016 at about 9pm, my wife told me our daughter was running temperature and we decided to watch her through the night and sponged her body intermittently till the next morning.
It was rather strange because only few hours earlier our daughter Lolia was the heartbeat of the house and initiator of various plays with her cousins who came visiting.
Early the next morning we prepped for work and creche as was our tradition the past 7months. Loli as fondly called by all had her cereal and we made a dash for the hospital.
We got there just before 7am through the portharcourt traffic on the 29th of February , 2016. We had to wait for the staff to do their devotion and morning rituals before we were attended to.
At about 8.30am a doctor in the consulting room examined her and said her tonsils were clear and her blood should be taken for test. The blood work came back after about 30mins Loli ha MALARIA+. The Doctor advised she should be admitted since she looked weak for faster recovery.
And so our watch began!!!
First 2 days were very worrisome as she threw up every 3hours especially after a meal or medication.
On the Third day a man who says he is a Pediatrics specialist saw her in the evening and after few observations concluded Loli had MENINGITIS and ordered a change of drugs and treatment plan.
Loli had become mute and slept long hours at this time for the next few days with a stiff neck that couldn't be moved voluntarily.
Under strong protest and demand for referral from my wife and I, the same Dr. was called in from church to review her because no other Dr had seen her. Only nurses came to administer intravenous drugs. We got all assurances from the Dr. and resident Drs. that she was in perfect hands and the treatment for meningitis takes a long time.
Long story short, we were there another 1week. Another Dr. read her case note and ordered a change of drugs.
Lolia was placed on the new drugs and became worse very rapidly.
Our little girl was no more.
She got excess medications her system could barely cope. All of this Sadly happened without investigation by the Drs.
We requested for her case note and medical report from the hospital management for onward dispatch to the American Embassy as part of the Embassy's requirements to process her death certificate and other necessities.
The Hospital blew our minds to Jupiter and back. The report was falsified and yours truly, my wife and I were alleged culprits in her death. They claimed "...against medical advise parents discontinued intra nasal oxygen from child".
They put down a number of tests they never did and claimed they did it all.
On different occasions I was chased out of the hospital by the Dean of Doctors in that facility because I was demanding for her Case Note for independent review. He repeatedly said to me "Go and do your worst".
#JusticeforLoli is a campaign to #SayNotoMedicalNegligence and seeks to get closure for my family as well as several other families who have lost a loved one and can't do anything about it just because the Drs. are untouchable, incompetent and unaccountable to the people they serve/treat or manage.
The mere fact that people die avoidably in the hands of erring Drs. without appropriate investigation and sanctions is why medical practice is a sham in this clime.
Loli was only 17months young and was our only Child who lit up our lives after 4long years of no issue when she died in a facility that claims to be specialists in Pediatrics care.
I miss my Cute Little Texan Princess with the brightest Kalabari smile and mould. I solicit your kind support for this cause not out of vengeance but to save the lives of millions out here in our hospitals. Medical Practitioners must be accountable for their services.
My Name is EBI PAX HARRY are you with me on this?
So sad!
ReplyDeleteMay her soul rest in peace.
DeleteYour comment will be visible after approval.
May her beautiful innocent soul RIP.
DeleteThis brought tears. OMG after 4years. Jesus please console the mother
DeleteEyaaaa....RIP to the little princess. So painful!
DeleteOmG,this post makes me teary.innocent baby lik dis.May God give u d parents to bear dis great lost.so sad after years of having a baby nd dis so called wicked doctors just took dis lovely baby away.
DeleteI am confused, did you say they took blood samples for tests and then later you said they didn't do tests?
DeleteFrom your narrative,i figured you are talking about a tertiary hospital, why are you withholding their name? Are you guilty? If I am convinced that my child died of negligence, the last thing on my mind would be to withhold anything. Are you protecting them? I feel you share the blame partly. You child couldn't have had fever just that day, ask your wife to tell you the truth. One day fever and next thing death. It doesn't add up.
If you go to any hospital in this world that is within the malaria endemic zone, you complain of one day fever, first thing a reasonable doctor will think of is malaria. Meningitis would be the last thing on the persons mind. It is from what you tell the doctors that they will make assumptions of what to do. Someone that has meningitis can also have malaria at the same time and can also have cancer at the same time. The only thing is that it would have been faster for you to say when the fever started or better still say I DONT KNOW, that way it gives room for them to think out of the box.
I feel your pain but you cannot demand for a case note/file to give to the embassy. All you need is a death certificate. Case file is a confidential file and it will take legal process to release it. The problem with us in Nigeria is that you think that once they hear America,they will fall on their knees. Embassy should be the last thing on the mind of someone who just lost a precious daughter. If you need to sue the hospital, do it and thats the only time they are bound by law to release the case file. You just used the Embassy to lie and thereby complicating your case.
If indeed,you asked them to refer you, it means you authorised them to discontinue treatment since you are moving to another hospital. So, your story is not complete. What happened after you asked them to give you a referral?
Fellow BVS, just for us to be on the safe side, please let us be careful when we go to some of these places, it is very painful to lose a loved one and it is hard sometimes to keep our cool but don't ever go threatening or quarrel ling up and down with people that you have yours or your child's care on. Except you are on your way out already, it is not wise at all. If you have to even spend an hour in there, even if it is a cleaner, don't go quarrelling up and down, you are indirectly compromising the life you are supposed to protect. People working in the hospitals are humans and might not even be psychologically ok. Carry your child and leave to a better place you know, even without ref feral. If you don't know any better place,then stay put and find a diplomatic way of getting things done while you secretly collect evidence you will use against them. If you want to deal with someone, act like a fool and you will take them unawares. All those while you were there, you could have even used your phone to take pictures of the tests you did cos it was you that went to collect the results. If you did you would have taken your child away and shown the new hospital the pictures you captured. We have technology, phones,internet, but we wait until things are bad before we use it for blogs and #justice which will never come. If you are even in the hospital and use your Google to read up everything they said and ask them questions, they will know that you are enlightened about the condition and you will see the way the un serious ones will sit up. Knowledge is power. In the end,even if you go to court, it won't bring back the dead. Even the case may not be won, do you even know what tests they did? It is your word against theirs. Sad!
Why is it America that will process her death certificate? Did she die in America?
DeleteIs it not the hospital where she died that is supposed to issue a death certificate? Then whatever the embassy needs will be taken from the certificate issued by the hospital?
There are loopholes here and there in your story. Even in death, Nigerians always want to show off, American Embassy bla bla bla. They can never request for her case folder from the hospital. RIP young one. Anyone who partook in your death will pay the price including the hospital staff(according to the parents) and the parents(according to the doctors). Hope you people didn't remove her nasal oxygen in anger. You didn't tell us about being placed in oxygen. Why did the doctors say you removed the oxygen? I doubt you did thom
Slide into d commts and give us the names please.
DeleteI wonder when Negligence by Drs would stop.
DeleteRIP Lil one.
You are so correct @ anonymous 10:07, you made a lot of sense. Couldn't but wonder at the American Embassy 'gist'. Still sorry for the death of the Lil Princess. May God console you and your wife.
DeleteI actually felt sad about this story but reading thru the comments gave me a different opinion.
DeleteWhy are you leaving out the most important aspect of this whole post? Why didn't you reveal the name of the hospital? And the individuals? Yet everyone who read this post will know your daughter is an American citizen. Is her being born in Texas more important than revealing the culprits in her death? I don't understand. This is injustice toy your daughter and to potential victims. You cannot be requesting for us to join you to seek justice when we don't even know who are the enemies.
All those American aspect shouldn't even be part of the post because being born in Texas has no role in the JUSTICe you seek, the actual culprits whom you are protecting from us does. Do you expect me to start fighting every hospital in Nigeria?
You are splashing your daughters picture over the internet and hiding the hospital. Why don't you crop the picture side by side. What are you scared of? It seems the doctors are more confident with their case than you.
DeleteName of the hospital please. If you wont release the name, i dont know how you want the public to help.
DeleteThe name of the hospital is being withheld because the matter is in court! That does not mean the family still do not want your support! You all act brain dead sometimes - arghhhh!
DeleteHmmmm na wa o. This is sad.
DeleteCould it be that they are involving the American embassy because they want them to instigate a suit that their "citizen" died in the hospital because of negligence? If this is what the father is pursuing, then I'd advice that u don't stress yourself. The American embassy will not do that. Face the hospital and make ur case with whatever evidence you have sir.
It's sad that ur baby had to die, but pls don't drag yourself and family through undue stress because that'll be adding insult upon injury. Pele
Which hospital and names of the doctors?
ReplyDeleteYeah, the names please.
DeleteHe is not even serious. Why is he hiding it,maybe he is guilty too and doesn't want them to release their own side of the story.
DeleteI had to read again to be sure I didn't miss the names. Should we beg to have their names?
DeleteTake the case to court...it may take time but you will get justice. Thats the only way forward for nigeria in the health sector. All these social media wont get u the justice u deserve
DeleteThe matter is in court, he cannot release names idiots!
DeleteYou again!
DeleteBrain dead and idiots?
Maybe it was this your attitude that made the doctors said you can go and do your worst!
Why not put that little piece important info in the write up, reason for withholding the names than going all American on the doctors and readers?
Even in tragedy, some Nigerians like to showoff. SisI eko said it all.
Regardless she is a citizen because she was birthed in Texas, does not make her a Texan! The rednecks are the true Texans, she was a Nigerian!
Your write up spark off as pride and arrogance! A beautiful and innocent daughter was lost, that is what she should be remembered for and not being a Texan or American! JEEZ!
Rest in peace Lil' one
ReplyDeleteNigerians put more effort to go and born in America just to show off the American passport , however when it is now time for them to utilise that benefit they will chicken out.
DeleteHaving an American passport and then bringing that same child back to Nigeria without having what it takes (money) to whisk the child back to partake in their basic rights as American citizen is as good as useless.
An average Nigerian thinks of being an American citizen as just going to America to shop and snap pictures without Visa.
American citizens in Nigeria falls sick, dies, suffers hunger, queue up on traffic,experience blackouts, etc Nigerian problems ain't a respected of your Citizenship. If UBI carries his son bk to Naija and lives in a mosquito infested area, mosqees will bite shege out of the pikin. Let's leave that American aspect out of it. Na where pesin shit, e go clean nyash. You cannot born in Benin and enter Europe to demand for birth certificate. Where they there when you were born?
All the other children in that creche should also be checked. One or two kids there might also have meningitis.
You are complete bad belly. Shame on u for all the hate write ups. I know you are mostly the anonymous writer in this post. All ur write ups sound alike. Spilling out hate from a jealous heart. You think you are so smart. I will see where ur smartness will lead u when something like this happen to u or any member of ur family!
DeleteOmg what a heartbreaking story. RIP angel.
ReplyDeleteSo painful, you have to sue that Dame hospital, they are unreliable and cruel,i pray your daughter rest in peace
ReplyDeleteSo sad, may her soul rest in peace.
ReplyDeleteStella na beg I take beg u....let WNB be three narratives today....pls make up for yesterday
ReplyDeleteThis comment seems insensitive, we are talking about a toddlers death and you are here talking about WNB.
DeleteCouldn't you do this on another post?
Yes I am with u
ReplyDeleteOmg!!!! Harry!!!! Omg!!!!!!!!!!
Delete#intears
I'm with you all the way!!!!
Good thing Loli's parents are both lawyers- mum is a practising one too....
Omg...... I'm so speechless...
So sad, her death was avoidable. I can only imagine the pain her parents are going through. May God grant her eternal rest and May he comfort everyone that was a part of her beautiful short life.
ReplyDeleteHmmmmm
ReplyDeleteGosh! this is so sad.. R.I.P. to the lil one.. medical negligence is the number one cause of premature death in Nigeria.. The hospital needs to be brought to justice and the name of the hospital as well.. enough of this rubbish that nigerian doctors put fellow citizens through .. Poster may God comfort your family and may he restore your family..
ReplyDeleteScroll up and read....it doesn't sound Nigerian don't be quick to discredit your own...
DeleteWhy would he want to send her case note to the American embassy? Why was the lil girl called texan princess with a kalabari smile?.maybe they are resident in texas. .or what do you think?
May her soul RIP
The poster should have even stated where the hospital us located since he doesn't want to put out the name of the hospital
DeleteSorry..I missed the portharvourt part when I started reading American embassy...texan princess and all.
DeleteMay her soul RIP.
Dr Orela the baby girl was born in Texas hence he called Texan princess
DeleteInstead of mourning your daughter and giving us the name of the hospital you are writing Textan and American this and that. Is that the point? People that are originally Americans still die. Stop acting like the effort you made to make her a texas and American citizen is what you miss more. You came off as proud.
DeleteThat's why you should read, read again and read again b4 rushING to attack sm1.
DeleteTypical of SDK Bvs, instead of offering support, your inferiority complexes are making you imagine this broken father is "bragging "- I feel sorry for you lot that simply are tied down with this type of myopia- you can never live the good life.
DeleteNames cannot be released as the matter is in court!!!!!
Can you not reason?
A little child died and u are talking of Texan Princess and arguing her Country of birth?????
DeleteIf this is not insensitivity,I don't know what else is.
Rest in peace Little Angel!
Heaven just gained a beautiful one.
I only pray for ur mum and Dad and ur loved ones to bear ur irreparable loss,Amen.
Sending u warm hugs.
God wil comfort u,ok?
Sorry about d death of your princess, May God grant ur family the heart to bear this painful, lost #justiceforloli
ReplyDeleteOmg, dis is terrible.
ReplyDeleteSo sad and inhuman og The doctors.
ReplyDeleteSo pathetic..
ReplyDeleteAyeah so sad, Sorry for your Loss, Good Antiboitic will have been given to her without even taking her to d hospital, Chemist for fit solve dis prob, may her beautiful soul rest in peace...
ReplyDeleteMumu Anonymous 08:51, no b only chemist,u for prescribe dibia join. Then the parents will blame themselves for her death. Becos what will b will b. R.I.P little princess
DeleteIe if it is not the chemist that delayed them from going to the hosp early. It is almost impossible for Nigerians to just go to hospital without trying out chemist.
DeleteIt's so sad hearing dis kind of stories,i really feel for the family. However,i don't understand the reason behind hiding the name of the hospital when you want justice. I just feel the best way to save others is to alert them to the dangers in that hospital in question,because now am at a loss,cos not all hospitals are the same. My opinion thou.
ReplyDeleteIf he mentions the name of the hospital and the doctors, they will have a right of reply.
DeleteIf I were in his shoes,the names will be all over everywhere. This post is useless without the names in full. Except he doesn't want us to read their own version.
Them say na st Matthews hospital stadium rd. The same hospital the school near it uses. God help us
DeleteSorry for your loss. Doctors need to be accountable for their errors
ReplyDeleteHow will they be accountable when instead of mentioning names of the people involved, he is busy telling us his child was born in Texas like that is a life assurance.
Delete@Anon13:20, it seems you are the one that's blabbing and so fixated on the citizenship of the dead child up and down the post under Anon. Abi, you're the same person? Instead of consoling and just being simply supportive or having some type of sympathy, you're running your mouth about the child's citizenship and the fact that the poster said Texan and American embassy. Are you one of the doctors in the hospital where the negligently treated? Are you Dr. Orela? Why so much hate for someone who lost their child? Do better pls
DeleteWhat a pity! Rest on little one nd at God have mercy on us and our medical system
ReplyDeleteI dont like stories like this. Heartbreaking.
ReplyDeleteRip Loli
#JusticeforLoli... Wicked Drs, you should have out rightly named the said hospital. but I also don't get what the American embassy needs with her death documents, I had to scroll back to be sure I read something about being in port harcourt.
ReplyDeleteNow I'm confused too...maybe she is an American citizen so her records needs to be entered into the system
DeleteThe poster is Lying,and this actually will discredit his story as false.
DeleteAmerican Embassy will never request a case file, to do what? Can they interprete results? The man just wanted to collect the case note and had to lie with the Embassy thinking everyone is an illiterate.
Now that he is writing this, he should have now told us why he used that as an excuse but he still continued to lie about the embassy stuff. If the case goes to court, American Embassy will deny asking them for it and then it will put everything he said here in jeopardy. It would have been better for him to say that he tried to use the embassy as a reason to get them to release her files.
He should have sought legal counsel before going public. After things are messed up,you then go looking for lawyers,just like most people do when they are sick.
The baby was obviously born in the US. Sad story
DeleteIf the baby was born in the US, then the US gives a birth certificate. If someone dies in chibok, you cannot go to Europe to get a death certificate. The person that certified the patient dead will write the report and the appropriate authority (govt hosp) will give the death certificate.
DeleteMy husband is Briton, I had my child in Benin and her birth certificate was given to us in Benin. We gave them the certificate at the Embassy and collected her British passport, are they mad to ask me to bring my Antenatal folder/case file, unto wetin? Let's learn to limit a post to the important thing only, this American embassy /case file thing will now come and become subject matter instead of the main focus. The poor child.
Why don't Embassies demand we bring our hospital folders instead of birth certificate when we apply for visa?
Delete#justiceforloli
ReplyDeleteAm in tears really,naija doctors I hail una
ReplyDeleteOh such a princess.. #justicsforLoli
ReplyDeleteI'm with you ebi
ReplyDeleteLord have mercy! What a tragedy. Go hospital wahala, if you didn't go you will be blaming yourself! I'm just tired by the way things are done atimes. May you and your family be consoled, can't say that I understand how you are feeling, but I know that God will continue to console. Rest on Loli.
ReplyDelete#Justice for loli..
ReplyDeleteI can only imagine your pain madam,but I don't think your baby girl died from excess medication.
The prognosis og meningitis is not so good, especially when the patient has gone into a coma,nevertheless was a lumbar puncture done for csf m/c/s?that would have really guided the doctor on the best choice of antibiotics.
I think the main issues here was the lack of communication, doctors always tell your patients/relatives the true state of things,not giving false assurance.. Even though its important to show empathy, if this mother was told that the prognosis was bad,at least they would have prepared their minds.
Lastly a good doctor is one who knows his/her limit,Stop trying to play God..When you see that the patient would be needing a multidisciplinary approach, please refer!
This story sounds like what played out in St martins hospital stadium ròà d portharcourt. Thier incompetence in handling pedeatric matters is quite alarming. #justiceforloli
ReplyDeleteThe man is busy broadcasting America like say he want Obama to come down. Leaving out the important info.
DeleteThey live in Port Harcourt and the husband and wife are lawyers. It might be them. They attend HOTR.
Delete#justiceforLoli# Accept ma heartfelt condolences, God will do it again for you guys... I think its better you mention d name of d hospital so dat we Pitakwa residents would avoid dem.
ReplyDeleteOh,how I hate to read such stories.
ReplyDeleteRIP little one.
Rip little angel! I hate to say this but, nothing works in Nigeria except looting! Nobody will be held responsible and with time, case closed! When will we get it right?????? Nigerians lives matter!!!!!
ReplyDeleteJustice for loli.
ReplyDeleteI dont blame people that travel overseas for medical attention.
Lost my fiance to cancer in luth within 2 weeks due to this same negligence.
While his cousin that has the same cancer last 2 years in the UK survived his cos of prompt nd adequate medical attention....
If your fiance has stayed at home for 15yrs with cancer, two weeks won't be able to save his life except you are talking about GOD. Oh! The one in the UK died after 2yrs, it would have made more sense if you said the person is still alive. If you compare Nigeria to the UK in this scenario then UK is even bad, if someone lasted in Nigeria for 2weeks, I expect the person to atleast survive upto 20yrs with the best medical help.
DeleteNawa oh anon 13:17 but the one in the UK survived!
DeleteOh!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteWhat a sad story to read.
May her loving soul rest in peace..
Our Doctors are incompetent. That's how a Doctor or rather a paediatrician told me the rash on my 19hours old baby's face was due to the kind of soap I used for her.A new born? A new born that has not yet had a bath? I was stunned.
ReplyDeleteIt is better you say some doctors. I am sure one delivered you from your mother's womb and has treated you atleast once in your life. If your statement was right, you would have been RIP.
DeleteWhy did you leave out the names of the doctors and hospital? We need to boycott them
ReplyDeleteOh dear! This just broke my heart. I pray you find justice for Loli. Can imagine what your wife is going through, so sad!
ReplyDeleteTruly heart-breaking I tell u.
DeleteIt's one thing to lose a child. But another to lose him or her to negligence or preventable occurrences.
Be strong my fellow woman. It's well.
So sad and to think they waited 4yrs before she came. May God comfort your family at this time.
ReplyDeleteI am sorry for your loss. #justiceforloli
ReplyDeleteGod comfort you Harry and wife. Heal your hearts and let peace reign in you.
ReplyDeleteWhy didn't the poster write the name of the Hospital? So that people will avoid them... When things like this happen, you write the name of the institutions and where it is located.
ReplyDeleteRIP to the little princess. Calaba n bragging
ReplyDeleteOmg! This is saddening. May her gentle soul rest in peace.
ReplyDeletename of hospital first. that's where to start from, name of hospital sir!!!!
ReplyDeletewhats the name of the hospital? that's where to start from, name of the hospital sir?
ReplyDeleteMaybe...you think, they are currently in court and can't name the hospital. Did you ever think of that?
DeleteSo sorry to hear about your loss, reading through if they did suspect meningitis sometests should have been done but ideally meningtis us treated for about 2 weeks even when the child seem to have recovered. Some doctors are busting their asses off trying to keep their patients alive its quite unfair to keep labelling all as negligent. Also if they had specialists come to review at least we know its not a one man team. If indeed it was meningitis then might be good to give prophylaxis to other babies at the creche that might have been exposed. I can imagine your pain after waiting for so long for a baby and to have same taken away so suddenly, may God console you
ReplyDeleteSo bad. Drs I reserve my comment
ReplyDeleteSince the matter is already in court, let the court handle it.....you are giving us only one side of the story. The court will hear you and hear the doctors and then decide.
ReplyDeleteMany issues are at play here Sir.
ReplyDeleteI am sad for your loss, but you are going about this in a not so right way.
First you were severally offered referral to UPTH and you rejected the offer repeatedly and even when you finally agreed you delayed the movement for up to 12 hours prior to your babies demise.
Secondly, qualified consultants were brought in at different intervals to make inputs on the management of your baby, yet the inevitable happened. It means that this team of Doctors acted super professionally and their conducts are without blemish compared to what is obtainable elsewhere.
I am not holding brief for them, but I've aware of this case since March because one of the Doctors is a colleague and Friend who made a long distance call just to discuss your babies case and know if he left off any part of the child's management. I'm sure you are not aware of this.
Doctors are extraordinary people who make sacrifices daily for our shared humanity and should not be harassed for an issue that can't be helped.
Take your time to search your conscience then ask yourself if you are moving in the right direction ; whatever your answer I wish you well.
Thanks
Very sad story.. Rip
ReplyDeleteBut get your facts right your story is not Convincing enough.. Sounds like a revenge mission. Than what you claim it to be.. 'negligence'
Nobody is with you on this.. I feel ur pain, buh ure not bin straight at all.. Loli didn't die of doctors negligence.. Series of test were done, yet u claimed no test was done. Telling us that she had too many drugs her system culd barely cope with just shows ur ignorance. Are u a doctor? How on earth do u knw wat her system can and cannot take. Please if u want justice, be sincere and not go about spreading false info. I can only sympathise with you, buh never wl I support this false accusation.
ReplyDeleteSorry for your loss. All these doctors, some of them are just doing try and fail
ReplyDelete