A Call For Help: Dr Comfort Arayela Needs N26.9m For Urgent Dialysis, Kidney Transplant

My name is Omosalewa Grace Arayela and I am sending this mail to you on behalf of my mother Dr. Comfort Taye Arayela (Nee Awoyemi) who was recently diagnosed with Chronic kidney disease (CKD).

Before the sickness, my mother was a lecturer in the Department of English in Redeemer’s University where she was also the Head of Department (HOD) of the Theatre and Film Studies Department. She is a trained linguist, an actress, a director and a senior lecturer who has lectured in some few Nigerian universities and colleges of education including the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA) and Redeemer’s University (RUN) in Nigeria. Her profession has brought her to teach many actors and actresses among whom few are Nollywood and Chrisian Drama Ministers. She has also crossed path with many theatre and film professors and lecturers as colleagues. Her future seemed bright until towards the end of the first half of 2014 last year when my mother woke up with swollen feet and found it difficult to walk. At first, we thought it was as a result of fatigue stress at the office and over-night rehearsals which has always been part of her life owing to the fact that she is an administrator, a lecturer and a theatre artist. I watched as my mother’s health deteriorated but this did not stop her from carrying out her duties which she did diligently, one of the many reasons she is referred to by her colleagues as a seasoned administrator and an academic.

I am the only child and only family my mother has here in Nigeria as her extended family all live in the United Kingdom (UK) including her Mother (who sadly passed on on a few weeks ago on the 6th of June). Her siblings in the UK invited her for a family vacation in the UK with the impression that her deteriorating health was due to work related stress and felt that some time away from work and by spending time with family and friends during her visit to the UK would help to refresh her.

On Friday the 13th of March 2015 at the London Royal Hospital during her family visit to the UK, she was called in to be told that she had high dosage of toxins in her system. That day she got the shocking news of her life from the Renal Consultant Dr. that ” kidneys have all gone, ……needs immediate dialysis, ……has less than two (2) weeks to live if not on immediate dialysis, …….furthermore, to live a normal life she would need a kidney transplant.” She was immediately advised by the nephrologist to travel back to Nigeria to begin renal treatment and dialysis. Her inability to accommodate this devastating news caused her to almost go into depression but she rather sought solace in her Creator.

She went through difficult times as she was refused medical treatment in the United Kingdom because unlike the rest of her siblings, she was not a registered British Citizen and so not entitled to the NHS care which she could use to start treatment. In the midst of the preparation for her emergency travel back to Nigeria for treatment, she had two (2) life threatening experiences as I almost lost her to the cold hands of death. Thank God my little cousin who was just five years old noticed her aunty was taking too long in the toilet than usual and then went to check on her; all she could hear faintly was, “call your dad call your dad”. By the time my Uncle got to her, she had collapsed, found in a pool of her own blood and was unconscious in the bathroom. She was saved thanks to God and the effective emergency team that was on duty at Queens Hospital that night! During these emergency crisis, it was discovered that she had a haemoglobin level of 3.5% as they battled to save her life. Even the medical team where amazed at how she was able to survive with a blood level of 3.5%. They confirmed that if she had boarded a flight back to Nigeria, she wouldn’t have made it to Nigeria alive. The thing is she was supposed to travel back to Nigeria the following day. Now her siblings and the medical team were at a cross-road, she was certified unfit to travel and yet she needed treated in the UK but wouldn’t be given because she is a Nigerian and that Nigeria and the United Kingdom had no bi-lateral relationship? In the course to save her life, her trip back to Nigeria had to be delayed again at this point because her creatinine level was 1338 so they had to reduce the toxins in her body for her to be fit to travel by placing her on a blood filter machine. With God on our side their mission was accomplished and, she was able to make it back to Nigeria after which she was immediately admitted to a Specialist Hospital (Molly Specialist Hospital) in Ibadan before she was transferred to the University College Hospital (UCH) Ibadan.

The Royal Free London had estimated her dialysis in a month to be £6500 at £500 per session of three (3) times in a week plus routine test. She would be on a bill of £6500 every month till she gets a transplant. The transplant package at Royal Free London is £68,000 which we cannot afford. Everything including the dialysis, surgery and recovery comes to £80,000. Friends and well-wishers advised reaching out to hospitals in India that can perform the kidney transplant at a lower cost.

So far the Redeemer’s University (RUN) and Federal University of Technology Akure (FUTA) Community, her old students and her few remaining friends have been wonderful. But we need more help from the public and every well-meaning Nigerian to help save the life of Dr. Comfort Taye Arayela (Nee Awoyemi). She has been on dialysis which does not come cheap as we are running out of funds. She needs an urgent kidney transplant within two weeks because dialysis is just a temporary means of survival and that is why I have come on this platform to seek for financial help.

My mother, Dr. Comfort Taye Arayela (Nee Awoyemi), a single mother of one has been part of my life’s aspiration, academic potentials and journey of life, not to me alone but also to many who she have comes across through her journey in life. She is not a lazy person but ‘na condition make crayfish bend’ as we have sold all that she could call her own to save her life. I am therefore appealing to the general public and anybody who has been part of her life directly (student, classmate, mentee, Sunday school pupil, drama/theatre crew, colleague, friend, family, etc.) or indirectly presently or in the past, to come to my aid. Please save her by donating through gofundme with this link http://j.mp/1LLOBKq or through her account: Account Name: Comfort Taye Awoyemi, Bank: Access Bank, Account Number: 0031551081, Sort Code: 044150149 and Account Name: Comfort Taye Arayela, Bank: First Bank, Account Number: 2027494488, Sort Code: 011151003. Thanks for your contribution.

Here is my phone number – 08033778858, please do not hesitate if you have any questions or clarifications.
These are the supporting documents including the original diagnosis, the medical report and the quotation for a kidney transplant.

http://j.mp/1SRzi73
http://j.mp/1FGpV0E
http://j.mp/1BUkr7R

The Daily Times has already assisted in a way by putting up our call for help – http://dailytimes.com.ng/comfort-needs-n26-9m-for-urgent-dialysis-transplant/

Here are few of her roles and achievements she has played over the years which has made her a distinct person.

HUDDERSFIELD, WEST YORKSHIRE, ENGLAND 1964-1970

1. Spring Grove Primary School 1964/65-1969/70
   • Member of the School Choir
   • Member of the School Drama

2. Royds Hall School 1970/71
   • Member of the football, volley ball and rounder’s team
   • Athlete (sprinter and long jump)
   • Drama Club

3. The Community 1964-1970
   • Member of the Brownies
   • Member of the Girls Guide
   • Local Junior Swimming Club
   • Methodist Children’s Sunday School pupil

OFFA/ILORIN, KWARA STATE

1) St Clare’s Grammar School Offa, Kwara State 1972-1975 set
• Member of the Literary and Debating Society
• Member of the Drama Group
• Labour Prefect 1974/1975
• Library Prefect 1974/1975
2) University of Ilorin workforce 1975-1976, 1978-1979
3) University of Ilorin 1979-1982 University of Ilorin, Ilorin Nigeria (B.A Hons) English where she won the Departmental Prize

• Founding member of the Unilorin Performing Troop
• Member of different social association/club within the university community
4) Ilorin Community
• Founding member Ajon Performing Troop led by Prof. Olu Obafemi (Her mentor, Supervisor and Director)
• An active actress with the Kwara State NTA series of drama presentations (more popularly known as Mama Tanko from a serial drama in the late 70s early 80s under Mr. Jimmy Atte and Ray Yusuf.
• Member of the drama team of the Kwara State NTA’s Tales by Moonlight
• Guest artist of the Kwara State Arts and Culture Council alongside Funso Ekundayo and the likes.

She anchored numerous discussion programmes on Radio Kwara as well as acted in Radio Drama series

IBADAN, OYO STATE

1) St Annes School 1971-1972

2) Ibadan Polytechnic 1976-1978
• A level Cambridge Student
• Member of the Drama Group
• Member of several social association/club.

3) University of Ibadan 1983/84 Master’s Degree, 1984-1986 M.Phil./Ph.D. Theatre Arts. Simultaneously

• she worked alongside actors and actresses like the Late Sam Loco-Efe, Shola Fosudo, Joke Muyiwa, Nobert Young, Emmanuel (Oga) Emaselu and the likes using series of medium like the theatre stage, the television and the radio

• Trained, mentored and went through apprenticeship under the tutelage of, Prof. Olu Obafemi, Prof. Femi Osofisan, Late Prof. Dapo Adelugba, Late Prof. Yinka Adedeji and a host of others who have contributed to the African and Nigerian Theatre and Film industry.

ILESHA, OSUN STATE

The then Oyo State College of Education, Ilesha now Osun State College of Education 1986-1992

1. Senior Lecturer in the Language Department of the School of Humanities

2. Co-Founder of the COB WEB Performing Troop

3. Member of some social associations and clubs within the college and local community

AKURE, ONDO STATE NIGERIA

Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA) 1992-2008

1. A senior administrator at the management level 1992-2008
   • Head of GNS Department
   • Member of Senate
   • Chair of many committees within the University community amongst other roles, position and responsibilities

2. An academic and lecturer 1995-2008

3. Founder of the Oasis Performing Troop, popularly known as OPT

In the Christian Community, Akure

1. Member of the El-Shaddai Bible Church 1992-1994

2. Active member and worker of the Agape Christian Ministry 1994-2005
   • Head of Children Church, Possibility Ground
   • Editor of the Women’s Wing Magazine
   • Member of the intercessory team among others

3. Member of the Anglican community

The Redeemer’s University, Ede Osun State (2008-till date):

1. Sub-Dean (College of Humanities)

2. Head of Department Theatre & Film Studies

3. Member of Senate representing Congregation

4. Headed several committees including the Redeemer’s University’s Health Centre Management Committee.

5. As a Spiritual member of the Redemption Camp Community: Member of the Hospitality/Welfare team of her parish 2008-2010

6. Contribution at National: Member the RCCG Drama Group, National Chapter 2008 till date

SERVICE TO THE NATION

• NYSC State Award- Cross Rivers State 1983

• Women of Merit Gold Award 2007

• Member, NUC Committee on NEEDS Assessment of Nigerian Public University March-April 2012

• Artistic Director of Ogun State Festival of Arts and Book Drama presentation of Femi Osofisan’s Women of Owu April/May 2014