When 32-year-old Emmanuella walked into a hospital in Abuja with her two-year-old daughter last August, she thought it was just a stubborn fever. She had tried everything—over-the-counter medicine, fluids, rest—but the symptoms lingered.
Nothing prepared her for what came next: a referral to a cardiologist and the devastating diagnosis that her daughter had a hole in her heart.
“She showed no signs,” Emmanuella said, still in disbelief. “She was active, healthy. You’d never guess anything was wrong.”
Beneath her daughter’s bright smile was a silent threat—a congenital heart defect that, without treatment, could have been fatal.
“I broke down. I cried for days. Surgery? For my little girl? And how could we possibly afford it?”
The initial cost of surgery was estimated at ₦12 million. Including travel, reviews, and medical logistics abroad, it was projected to exceed ₦30 million—an impossible figure for Emmanuella’s family.
Just as hope began to fade, Emmanuella found a lifeline through Hospitals for Humanity (HfH), a nonprofit that provides free life-saving surgeries for children with heart defects.
Referred through a chain of medical professionals, Emmanuella connected with HfH’s biannual surgical mission in Lagos. They came close to getting her daughter into surgery in November, but a last-minute cough forced a delay.
The breakthrough finally came in May 2025. Cleared for surgery during HfH’s spring #SavingLittleHearts mission, her daughter was taken into the operating room for a seven-hour procedure.
“My whole body was shaking. I could only pray and wait,” she recalled. “When the doctor came out and said the surgery was successful, I just broke down again—this time in gratitude.”
Her daughter is now recovering in the ICU, talking, responding, and showing signs of strength every day.
“I slept beside her last night,” Emmanuella said with tears in her eyes. “She’s going to be okay.”
At HfH’s recent two-day Open House at Diamed Centre in Lagos, the organization showcased its life-saving work, bringing together local families and international volunteers under one mission—giving children a second chance at life.
“We take on the most critical cases, children whose families cannot afford surgery,” said Morenike Lawal, a U.S.-based nurse and administrator. “We’re not just saving lives. We’re building trust, following up, and being transparent.”
In Nigeria, 8 out of every 1,000 children are born with congenital heart defects. Most never receive a diagnosis or treatment due to high costs and limited access to care.
“There are over 1,000 children on our waiting list,” said Mrs. Efe Farinre, Chair of HfH’s General Advisory Board. “Some won’t survive long enough to be helped.”
Since launching its pediatric cardiac program, HfH has performed just over 200 surgeries in Nigeria. The goal is to increase that to 150 surgeries annually. But systemic barriers—staff shortages, funding gaps, and infrastructure limitations—still challenge progress.
Yet, HfH is undeterred.
“We come prepared, we adapt, and we build local capacity,” said Dr. Omonigho Ekhomu, a volunteer pediatric cardiologist. “We leave behind not just healed hearts but knowledge and continuity.”
Dr. Segun Ajayi, HfH founder and CEO, was inspired to start the organization after falling seriously ill during a visit to Nigeria and experiencing firsthand the limitations of the healthcare system.
“I realized Nigeria’s healthcare story could be different. If something was going to change, I had to be part of it,” he said.
As HfH celebrates 10 years of its flagship program, Ajayi shared the organization’s long-term goal: Africa’s first free pediatric cardiac hospital—a center for treatment, training, and research.
“Every child we save is a ripple in a larger story,” said Farinre. “That child could become the doctor, innovator, or leader of tomorrow—but only if given the chance to live.”
HfH is funded through international donations, local sponsors, and its grassroots “Circle of Friends” campaign—where individuals and communities contribute what they can, from covering a surgery to hosting a fundraiser.
For Emmanuella, that ripple has already begun.
“She’s stronger than me,” she said, smiling through tears. “They didn’t just save her life. They saved mine too.”
