Thread by @greaterbayo

Progress Report on Wumi Ojediran- Now She Calls Me Daddy

I don’t know if it’s a coincidence that exactly two years ago (Sept 2018) that we rallied round for her case, she came to visit me at work yesterday.

I had gotten a Facebook memory alerting me to what I wrote two years ago and boom- she showed up in my office.

Wumi Ojediran had breast hypertrophy for many years and had just given birth to a 3-month old baby when I was alerted about her case.

I came to social media then and together with our team (Mrs Modupe Sodunke, Barrister Kehinde Adegbite, Edmund Obilo and I), we were able to mobilize support from the public to assist her. This is why I believe we owe the public a progress report after two years.

You can read previous updates here

goo.gl/kHZwSc

goo.gl/rDT1Uj

goo.gl/KV81p3

goo.gl/6soM6p

Wumi has been rehabilitated after the mastectomy. We put her in a boarding school where the proprietor and her husband have been of tremendous assistance. They allow her to stay with them during the holidays as she has nowhere to go. We pay for a nanny to take care of the baby

Recall that Wumi dropped out of school in SS2 in 2016 due to the illness but we are happy to report that she had to start from SS1 again after we put her in school. She has just completed SS2 now and will resume in SS3 by the end of this month. She is also preparing for NECO exam

She brought her report card to show me yesterday. This is a picture we took yesterday

I spoke with her baby yesterday and I was elated when Ayo (that’s the name of the baby) called me Grandpa. Wumi herself had always called me Daddy since I set eyes on her.

Truly, I’m the only Daddy she knows since no one has asked for her from her family this year. I spoke to her from my heart yesterday and pleaded with her to make all of us proud by focusing on her education.

I warned her not to follow boys nor allow anyone to deceive her. I told her that when she excels in flying colours, her family members will look for her again.

I’m so elated writing this and I’m so emotional looking at the amazing transformation in two years. She could have died in that problem but for the kindheartedness of well meaning Nigerians.

This is one of the reasons I believe that if we use social media responsibly, the benefits are immense. We raised the money for her treatment on social media and I gave a public account of how it was utilized.

We have managed the balance very well and that is what has been spent on her education and maintenance for the past two years.

Sincere appreciation goes to Mrs Modupe Sodunke, Barrister Kehinde Adegbite and Edmund Obilo for all the hard work. I’m grateful our paths crossed through this project. Edmund Obilo's videos brought so much awareness to her plight.

I want to specially appreciate Grandma Alaba Justina Olugboye for referring the boarding school and getting the school to admit her. The proprietor of the school and her husband have simply been amazing. The love they have showed Wumi and her baby is simply indescribable.

Many times when I visit Wumi in school, I often see the proprietor’s husband (who is retired) playing with the baby. They take Wumi and her baby into their home during holidays for the past two years without charging a dime (apart from what we pay for tuition and boarding fees)

I want to specially recognize the former Minister for Health, Prof Isaac Adewole who was alerted to my post on Facebook and who directed the Ministry of Health/UCH to bear the cost of surgery.

For the 20 days Wumi was admitted, we didn’t pay a dime (other than the cost of consumables, food, blood and drugs that were not available in UCH). The Management of UCH under the former CMD, Prof Temitope Alonge was exceptional in handling this case. The compassion was great.

One person who changed the trajectory of the whole story was Omowaiye Oluremi, the incumbent Commissioner for Works and Transport in Osun State and my dear friend. He was the one who read my Facebook post, called me immediately and linked me with the former Minister for Health.

Finally and most importantly, sincere gratitude goes to Almighty God for granting us the opportunity to tell a good story. Except the Lord builds a house, the laborers labor in vain. I remember how anxious we were at the theatre during the surgery. What if it had gone wrong?

I was very emotional when Wumi knelt down and prayed for me in my office yesterday. I told her that prayer was not only for me and the team but for everyone who got involved in her case-including the general public that donated. May the Lord remember you all.

Thank you so much. This is one reason I’m on social media. For social good.
God bless you all.

© Bayo Adeyinka
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