The story of this 26yr old young man known as Michael Ezekwere is a very sad one, according to the news reaching us, he currently needs the sum of N5,000,000 million Naira to undergo a kidney transplant. According to what he had to say, the disease started hunting him in 2002 and life as not been easy all this while, all his earnings have been spent on trying to get rid of it.

Though Michael Ezekwere has just completed his national youth service, accomplishing his dreams in life will depend on Nigerians’ benevolence as he battles a kidney-related disease, Gbenga Adeniji writes

One needs not earn a degree in Medicine to know that Michael Ezekwere is sick. His difficulty in speaking, occasional tug at his sides and fatigued look are enough signs. He is actually battling with a kidney-related disease.

Ezekwere, a 26-year-old graduate of Political Science and Public Administration from the University of Benin, just completed his one year mandatory national youth service in Edo State.

He told our correspondent that his health challenge started in March 2002 shortly after his secondary education. Ezekwere said, ‘‘I had just left secondary school and doing a small business to support myself. I was then staying with my uncle when I noticed that my legs and feet were swollen. I went for a test where it was disclosed that I had renal problem, precisely kidney-related. In October of that year, I did the first transplant which was sponsored by the Salvation Army. From that time till when the kidney failed, I had spent about N5m.’’

He added that he had been on medication since the beginning of this year when his feet became swollen again. According to him, he went for another test where it was discovered that he was suffering from chronic allograft nephropathy. ‘‘The doctor told me that I needed a new transplant,’’ Ezekwere, who hails from Aguata Local Government Area of Anambra State, said in an emotion-laden voice.