By Chioma Obinna
The family of little Inayat Sodiyat, a two-year-old girl battling a severe heart defect, is appealing to well-meaning Nigerians for financial support to save her life.
Inayat has been diagnosed with sub-truncus ventricular septal defect (VSD), a condition involving multiple holes in the heart. Doctors at Babcock University Teaching Hospital, Ogun State, have recommended corrective heart surgery estimated to cost over ₦20 million at Marengo Asia Hospital, India.
Her mother, Mrs. Precious Sodiyat, recalled that her baby first showed signs of distress a few weeks after birth.
“She had constant cough, her heart beat so fast, and she wasn’t gaining weight like other babies,” she said.
After several hospital visits, including Sacred Heart Hospital, Lantoro and the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Abeokuta, doctors confirmed the family’s worst fears — Inayat had developed multiple holes in her heart.
According to a medical report signed by Dr. Oyebanji Adedayo, Consultant Paediatric Cardiologist at Babcock University Teaching Hospital, an echocardiogram conducted in June 2025 revealed that Inayat’s heart had a 20mm sub-truncus VSD, causing abnormal blood flow between the heart chambers.
The report recommended CT Pulmonary Angiography and diagnostic cardiac catheterization, followed by open-heart surgery abroad.
The surgery cost is far beyond the reach of her parents. Mrs. Precious runs a small tailoring shop that earns about ₦15,000 monthly, while her husband, an interior decorator, makes less than ₦50,000.
“We are helpless,” Precious said tearfully. “As a first-time mother, watching my baby struggle to breathe breaks my heart. We’re begging Nigerians to please help us save her life.”
If you are touched by her story donations to support Inayat’s surgery can be made to the following account: Account Name: Sodiya Inayat A. Account Number: 1580099054. Bank: Ecobank
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