For Ukeria Uduak, a devoted mother from Cross River State, the journey toward healing began with a mother’s instinct.
Her son, Thywill Uduak Jimmy, now three and a half years old, was born with Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF), a congenital heart defect. However, it wasn’t until he was one year and eight months old that signs became clearer. Thywill would get tired easily. After a few minutes of play, he would squat to catch his breath. Sometimes he would simply want to be carried on his mother’s back.
“I noticed he was always tired and uncomfortable,” Ukeria recalls. “That was when I decided to take him for a check-up.”
The diagnosis was frightening. Although Thywill had been born with the condition, his case, though serious, was stable enough to manage without frequent hospital admissions. Still, the fear of the unknown weighed heavily on the family.
Scared but determined, Ukeria searched for solutions. Then she discovered a Medical Mission flyer from the Sir Emeka Okwuosa Foundation, announcing subsidized open-heart surgeries at the Dame Irene Okwuosa Memorial Hospital, in partnership with the VOOM Foundation.
For her, it felt like divine intervention.
In October/November 2025, Thywill became one of the Open Heart Surgery beneficiaries. The surgery was successful.
“God did it,” she says with deep gratitude. “It was not easy, but my family survived.”
Today, Ukeria’s heart is filled with joy. Her son has been given a second chance at life. She firmly believes that God has a purpose for Thywill and that this opportunity was given so he can grow, thrive, and fulfill that purpose.
For families like Ukeria’s, access to life-saving cardiac care is more than a medical intervention — it is hope restored, faith strengthened, and a future reclaimed.