I am a father of a toddler who came to me at the age of 51, late in life, in my twilight years.

I may not fully comprehend a mother’s love for a child, but I can speak with conviction about a father’s love, especially when that child arrives in one’s later years.

Watching my wife love, nurture, and protect our son has also deepened my appreciation for the fierce devotion of mothers.

I submit, most profoundly, that the love of a father or mother for a child is proportional to the pain they feel at the death of that child, especially where the death is avoidable, where a duty of care is owed, and where systems, standards, and regulation have repeatedly failed. While tragedy can occur anywhere, the circumstances surrounding a death, and the revelation that it could have been prevented can intensify grief and deepen the questions.

It is with this burden that my heart broke when I first read of the death of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s 21-month-old son.

My heart was further shattered by the account of the circumstances of his death, as reported by the official @arisetv X handle, which confirmed the same through her media team. No parent should ever be made to endure this kind of untimely, and avoidable death of a child.

As you read the chilling account below, please pray for the family: may the Lord grant them the fortitude to bear this irreparable denture and may we build a Nigeria where every life matters; a nation that does not shed the blood of its future, its children:

👇👇👇

We were in Lagos for Christmas. Nkanu had what we first thought was just a cold, but soon turned into a very serious infection and he was admitted to Atlantis hospital.

He was to travel to the US the next day, January 7th, accompanied by Travelling Doctors. A team at Johns Hopkins was waiting to receive him in Baltimore. The Hopkins team had asked for a lumbar puncture test and an MRI. The Nigerian team had also decided to put in a ‘central line’ (used to administer iv medications) in preparation for Nkanu’s flight. Atlantis hospital referred us to Euracare Hospital, which was said to be the best place to have the procedures done.

The morning of the 6th, we left Atlantis hospital for Euracare, Nkanu carried in his father’s arms. We were told he would need to be sedated to prevent him from moving during the MRI and the ‘central line’ procedure.

I was waiting just outside the theater. I saw people, including Dr M, rushing into the theater and immediately knew something had happened.

A short time later, Dr M came out and told me Nkanu had been given too much propofol by the anesthesiologist, had become unresponsive and was quickly resuscitated. But suddenly Nkanu was on a ventilator, he was intubated and placed in the ICU. The next thing I heard was that he had seizures. Cardiac arrest. All these had never happened before. Some hours later, Nkanu was gone

It turns out that Nkanu was NEVER monitored after being given too much propofol. The anesthesiologist had just casually carried Nkanu on his shoulder to the theater, so nobody knows when exactly Nkanu became unresponsive.

How can you sedate a sick child and neglect to monitor him? Later, after the ‘central line’ procedure, the anesthesiologist casually switched off Nkanu’s oxygen and again decided to carry him on his shoulder to the ICU!

The anesthesiologist was CRIMINALLY negligent. He was fatally casual and careless with the precious life of a child. No proper protocol was followed.

We brought in a child who was unwell but stable and scheduled to travel the next day. We came to conduct basic procedures. And suddenly, our beautiful little boy was gone forever. It is like living your worst nightmare. I will never survive the loss of my child.

We have now heard about two previous cases of this same anesthesiologist overdosing children. Why did Euracare allow him to keep working? This must never happen to another child.