My Son Would Be Alive Today: A Mother’s Account of Medical Negligence at Euracare Hospital
On January 6, my son, Nkanu, lost his life following a medical incident at Euracare Hospital in Lagos—a loss I believe was entirely preventable.
We had traveled to Lagos for Christmas when Nkanu developed what initially appeared to be a mild cold. His condition rapidly worsened into a serious infection, and he was admitted to Atlantis Hospital. Despite being unwell, he was stable and scheduled to travel to the United States on January 7, accompanied by Travelling Doctors. A specialist team at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore was already prepared to receive him.
As part of his preparation for transfer, the Johns Hopkins team requested a lumbar puncture and an MRI. The Nigerian medical team also decided to insert a central line to allow IV medications during the flight. Atlantis Hospital referred us to Euracare Hospital, which was described as the best facility to carry out these procedures.
On the morning of January 6, we left Atlantis for Euracare. Nkanu was carried in his father’s arms. We were informed that he would be sedated to keep him still during the MRI and central line procedure.
While waiting just outside the operating theater, I saw medical staff—including Dr. M—rush inside. Instinctively, I knew something was wrong.
Shortly afterward, I was told that Nkanu had been given an excessive dose of propofol by the anesthesiologist, had become unresponsive, and had to be resuscitated. Suddenly, my son—who had never experienced seizures or cardiac issues—was intubated, placed on a ventilator, transferred to the ICU, and later suffered seizures and cardiac arrest.
Within hours, he was gone.
It later emerged that Nkanu was never properly monitored after the administration of propofol. The anesthesiologist reportedly carried him casually on his shoulder to the theater, meaning no one can say exactly when he became unresponsive. After the central line procedure, his oxygen was switched off, and once again he was carried casually—this time to the ICU.
Sedating a critically ill child without continuous monitoring defies basic medical protocol.
What happened that day was not an unavoidable tragedy—it was criminal negligence. No proper procedures were followed. A sick but stable child was brought in for routine preparatory procedures, and within hours, his life was taken forever.
This is a pain no parent should ever know. Losing a child is living inside your worst nightmare—one you never wake up from.
