Olutayo’s Kidney Transplant Fund

Olutayo is my immediate younger brother. Not sure why I haven’t put this up before now since we have had a Facebook page and a GoFundMe page for him for quite a while.

The summary is that his kidneys failed completely (CKD – Chronic Kidney Disease) mid-last year (2016) and he needed a transplant. He was on dialysis for a year and finally had his operation (after we found a suitable donor) about a month ago. The financial and emotional strain on all concerned has been immense. But in all things we give thanks.

A rough estimate of the cost of his treatment so far should be well over  N16 million Naira (the operation is a huge chunk of it, while the 2-3 times weekly dialysis sessions for the year makes up the bulk of the balance). So while we were able to pay for the operation upfront (no negotiation in the matter), it means we have debt to re-pay. In addition, he has to take anti-rejection drugs (so that his body doesn’t reject the transplanted kidney) for as long as he lives and the drugs are quite expensive as well (at current rate about $10,000 per annum).

The link to the Facebook and GoFundMe pages are below. We continue to request for your support in prayers and donations.

https://www.facebook.com/Olutayos-Kidney-Transplant-Fund-1573477076294320/

https://www.gofundme.com/2jq7mgc

Thank you!

Just in Case

Just in Case

I like flying. It’s generally safe. Safer than the other means of transport. That safety comes at a premium of course. In addition, when things go wrong, they often do so spectacularly. One can generally stop a car given the right conditions (for example), but one can’t decide mid-air to alight from a malfunctioning plane.
So, once the pilot starts the run down the runway for take-off, I say a little prayer that goes something like “Dear God, forgive me all my sins. See us to our destination safely. But if this should be my last flight, let it end quickly and accept me into your heaven. Amen.” After that prayer, I am completely at peace and ready to enjoy the flight.

Over the next couple of weeks, I will be boarding an estimated 8 separate flights. That’s a lot of opportunity to find one’s self knocking on heaven’s door. So in preparation (I have done something less elaborate before), I am sending a mail to myself though addressed to my “sibs”. I will then send them via Whatsapp/SMS a cryptic but easily decrypted code for my password and instructions to read the mail in case “just in case” becomes “in fact.”

The text of the mail is below (heavily redacted 🙂

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Hi redacted/redacted/redacted/redacted (my siblings),

This mail is just in case something unplanned happens – such as any of the flights I will be taking in the next couple of weeks falls out of the sky – God forbid, but still – sh*t happens and time and chance happens to us all.

As much as possible, all “papers” should be in my room.


Unfinished Business

1. Approx. redacted Naira paid to redacted for redacted (contact my friend redacted for details). Balance of redacted remaining for a total of redacted Naira.
Requires another redacted Naira to perfect it (redacted for the redacted, redacted for the redacted, redacted for redacted – the redacted.


Credit: (10 items under here – guess I haven’t done too badly – thank God – last 2 items are “dodgy” investments)

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.


Creditors 🙂

1. Owe redacted  over redacted Naira. I paid roughly redacted for redacted. Then check my redacted bank account (both current/savings) for several transfers to redacted redacted bank account to figure out the total I have paid. redacted originally borrowed me redacted Naira.


Debtors 🙂

1.
2.
3.
4.

There are probably a few I can’t remember!


People to say sorry to on my behalf

1. redacted – She is special. I didn’t do enough to make her “(redacted)” me. “Complicated much” – “Whoosh!” (those are some of her words I find intriguing). Send her a cake, a card and a single rose on her birthday: July (redacted). redacted can organize it. Cake must be from redacted.

2. redacted

3. redacted – should have done much more

4. redacted – should have done much more


People to say thank you to on my behalf (8 people listed)

1. Same lady in the previous section
2. ideally everybody or anybody who knows me
3. redacted
4. redacted
5. redacted
6. redacted
7. redacted
8. redacted
9. redacted


People to give the evil look to on my behalf

– thankfully none


Bank Accounts (with account types)

1. redacted
2. redacted
3. redacted
4. redacted  for redacted


Other matters

– get Mummie to finish reviewing the 2 books (short stories and poems) then print them. Don’t put my picture anywhere on them. But for the cover you can find some painting by myself or a couple of those Daddy’s watercolor paintings (should be in the room if I haven’t lost them)

 

Love,
Tunde Itayemi

Folktales and Fables

I think I drew the picture below as a sample many many years ago when I was supposed to illustrate a planned new edition of the book “Folktales and fables” by Currey and Itayemi (not me . That’s Mrs. P. A. Ogundipe nee Itayemi. Most people would know her from the “Practical English” secondary school books and the “Brighter Grammar” primary school books series.)

folktales

Too close for comfort

Too close for comfort

I drive a Highlander. I came out to the car park today to find some sort of cross-over utility vehicle (CUV) (or maybe a Previa) parked so close to my car I couldn’t even open the door to get in. My car was next to the gate house so on that side I had left a gap of about 3 inches so I couldn’t get in either from the passenger side.
After asking around and talking to the security guards, it was obvious I either wait indefinitely or find an alternative means of gaining entry into the car. Though I was parked quite close to the fence, there was just enough room to open the boot partially just about enough for me to get in.
But before I did that, I got a business card from my bag and scribbled something on the back:
“Hi, please park properly next time.
Have a great evening.
I had to get into my car through the boot!!! 🙂
Regards.”

I included the smiley-face in order to “soften” the tone of the message. For some reason, the ridiculousness of the situation itself helped me to remain calm. There I was with the key in my hand and not able to leave.
Which brings me to that well-known expression about you being in control of how you react in all situations. Of course it is not always so easy to keep a level-head. For some reason I just didn’t really get worked up, and by the time I finished the calisthenics required to get from the boot to the middle-row seats all the way to the driver’s seat (I had to take off my shoes to easily maneuver in the confined space), I was gently smiling at myself.

The car was so close I had to fold-in my driver’s side mirror otherwise I would have knocked off his own passenger’s side mirror. The fact that the mirror was almost off its hinges gave an inkling into the sort of driver he/she was. Not only that, he had also angled his front wheel towards my car thereby taking even more space. Literally too close for comfort! I had to carefully inch the car out of the tight spot (the gatehouse on one side and his front wheel on the other – between the devil and the deep blue sea :-).

Shortly after I got home, I got a call from an unknown number.
“Hello Mr Itayemi. This is Mr Adeyemi. I got your message. I am sorry. The slot was so tight I almost couldn’t get out of my car.”
I laughed a little. “Well, Ok.”
“I am keeping your card all the same.”
“That’s OK. Have a great evening.”
“Bye sir.”

Of course I could have thrown a tantrum at the car park; I could have “helped” him by pulling off his partially broken side-mirror; “keyed” his car; kicked a dent in his fender (and possibly break a toe); I could have cursed him and his lineage; I could have ranted till I lost my breath and became red in the face with sweat trickling down my back; or a few other things. I would have accomplished nothing.

But here I am writing this with a smile on my face. Possibly gained a “friendly” acquaintance as well (of course we may never ever meet again, but what does it matter). A reasonably good end to a work day.

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Now what were we talking about before? Ah yes, that lovely BBM contact who promised to send me “digitized fried-rice yesterday evening” 🙂