THE NIGERIAN mother of a seriously ill five-year-old girl, who face deportation, has been asked to return to the offices of the Garda National Immigration Bureau next Wednesday.
Ayodola Adekunle has been in Ireland with her mother Eniola and two siblings for two years. She was diagnosed with sickle-cell anaemia while here and has been receiving treatment at Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital.
The doctor treating her, Dr Karina McMahon, said the child’s life would be seriously impaired if she returned to Nigeria. She said the child’s spleen had been removed a year ago due to complications associated with her condition.
“If you’ve no spleen and go to a malaria zone, you have a very high risk of dying of malaria,” Dr McMahon said. “We know that in Africa, 50 per cent of children with sickle-cell anaemia do not live to see their fifth birthday. She should be here on a decent sickle-cell programme.”
Sickle-cell disease is a genetic life-long blood disorder characterised by red blood cells that assume an abnormal, rigid sickle shape.
Sufferers are at risk of a range of complications and life expectancy is impaired. One-third of the indigenous population of sub-Saharan Africa carry the sickle-cell gene. Those who develop the condition have inherited the gene from both parents.
Ms Adekunle, who is living at the Balseskin Reception Centre in Dublin with her three children, attended the Dublin offices of the Garda National Immigration Bureau to “sign on” yesterday afternoon.
The child, Ayodola, appeared in good spirits as she smiled for photographers.
About 20 supporters held placards outside as the family arrived.
Ms Adekunle said she had been notified in December that her asylum application had been refused, that she had exhausted all legal avenues and that she and her children would be deported.
Rosanna Flynn, of the Residents Against Racism organisation, said compassion should be shown by the authorities.
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