Dr. Timothy Wale Adeyinka
… Over 400 Paediatric Surgical Procedures Performed For Free
Sometimes ago, a Pediatric Surgeon from Leicester Children’s Hospital in the UK, Dr Timothy Wale Adeyinka, led the first surgical expedition to Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital, OOUTH, in Ogun State.
In 2023, he went together with five other colleagues to perform over 200 procedures on 155 paediatric patients for free. The team was happily welcomed by his Majesty, Oba Akarigbo of Remo Kingdom, entertained by who-is-who in Ogun State with the governor himself in Sagamu to declare it all open.
In 2024, they went with even more medics and performed around 200 operations for free. At a point, he was only able to perform 16 procedures as the doctors there were on work-to-rule.
The following week, Dr Adeyinka joined the rest of the team from University of Leicester in Ikorodu area of Lagos State, where they performed over 200 operations again.
One of the pictures taken after the expedition at Ikorodu General Hospital in September, 2024.
Sponsored by Healing Little Hearts Charity Leicester, a team of Medics from Leicester Children’s Hospital, UK went on paediatric surgical expedition to Ogun State, Nigeria.
They were received by the governor of Ogun State, Prince Dapo Abiodun who was full of commendations for the team.
Collaborating with the medics at the Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital, 155 patients and over 300 paediatric surgical procedures were performed
There were over 4,000 applications of which over 700 were shortlisted.
CEO of Healing Little Heart Foundation, HLHF, Dr. Sanjiv Nichani Obe
Parents, guardians of beneficiaries and the entire community were full of appreciation while asking for more of such interventions.
According to Dr Adeyinka, the hospital needs more ventilators, monitoring equipment, theatre equipment, neonatal intensive care facilities that will benefit the citizens in the 21st century.
“We are looking forward towards touching more lives in the coming years.”
In his address, Dr Adeyinka commended colleagues from Uk, US and Nigerian team for their unwavering support. “We are indeed very grateful for the opportunity of being able to give back to our nation and society. It’s an answered prayers to the wishes of many innocent souls. It’s five days of serious work to help and put smiles on faces of our children and their loved ones for the first expedition.
“The expedition is a collaboration to learn from our Nigerian colleagues and not to show that we are better but to also show them one or two things.”
Dr Adeyinka wished that the outreach wil be a continuous one just like most people in the kingdom. And the subsequent ones will be better and bigger in order to help more children.
He also appreciated Mr Ashok Dinka Rhajuwali, Mr Atel Ibrahim Dagash, Ms Kim Harvey, Mr Steve Cardwell. Mrs Adebola Olufunke Awodola for their love for humanity not minding the stress and inconveniences.
According to him, Mr Rhajuwali and Dagash have been helping many children from low income countries across the world for many years now. Without the support of the government and hospital management, the mission would not have been possible.
“Mrs. Awodola has been working flat out to make sure we are comfortable and for making this expedition a successful one.”
“The first six months or so have been for preparations from both ends. We have been so impressed with the way the whole exercise went.”
Dr Adeyinka also showed his appreciation to the founder and CEO of Healing Little Heart Foundation, HLHF, Dr. Sanjiv Nichani Obe. HLHF is a charity that provides free heart surgery to children and babies around the world.
Healing Little Hearts was founded in 2007 by Dr. Nichani. The charity operates in 11 countries across Asia, Africa, and Europe.
The foundation has been helping the team to make the dream a reality. According to him, the foundation has been sending doctors to so many countries in the world for paediatric medical outreaches. He urged people to visit their website and support what they are doing.
“We also appreciate Mr Sina Oduko for facilitating this collaboration by connecting us with Honourable Remi Hassan. Big thanks to the Commissioner for Health and the Chief Medical Director.
Dr Adeyinka appreciated several notable philantropists in Nigeria who also supported the event.
“We were overwhelmed by the magnitude of love showered on us by his royal highness, AkarigboofRemoKingdom. “You are a father indeed and a father like no other. We have been reliably informed of your efforts just to bring comfort to the people of this kingdom and the state at large. These children too have benefited from your acts of generosity. These children whose lives have been positively touched by this expedition will forever be grateful to your royal highness sir. Permit me to take some passages from the Bible to portray what have been said in the book of Hebrew chapter 6 verse 10 8. The Bible says for the Lord is not unjust to forget your labour of love. All what you have done sir have not gone unnoticed by the Creator of the universe. He shall reward you in due time according to Galatians, Chapter 6.” Dr Adeyinka stated.
“I thank our dear colleagues from UK and also our own very sister all the way from Florida the United States of America, who have given all they have to the success of this expedition. Mr Ashok is an Indian, Mr Ladash is a Sudanese, Ms king Harvey and Steve Cardwell are all English, while Dr Badru and I are proud Nigerians. However, we all have something in common and what we have in common is love. Love has no boundaries, it has no colour, this world will be a better place if we can have many selfish people in our societies.”
In his response to people’s clamour for the continuation of the programme, Dr Adeyinka said that the team was already planning where they are going next, as the lord leaves this expedition will continue.”
Regarding the challenges faced during the expedition, he pointed out that many things could have been done, but our hands are limited by the available resources. On behalf of my colleagues from UK and US, we want to say a big thank you sir for helping us to help these children. Longer may you live sir, guarding your reign, your time. During your time, we will experience peace and joy. May the Lord give you long life to continue to be a shining light to the people of Remo kingdom and Nigeria at large.”
In addition, Dr Adeyinka paid a glowing tribute to their colleagues in Nigeria for the love, care and support shown to them throughout the expedition period.
“We have all worked together like a team. I would like to appreciate them for hosting us and for making us comfortable. These amazing people are doing an impossible job. They keep going on despite their meagre resources. They have shown competence and the heart of love.”
He appreciated his excellency, Prince Dapo Abiodun, for making the expedition a memorable experience, most especially for our non-Nigerian friends.
Likewise the Commissioner for Health, Dr Tomi Coker for providing the enabling environment for the success of the expedition and to make future expedition more successful.