Renowned Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has released a detailed statement following the death of her 21-month-old son, Nkanu, describing what she believes were fatal lapses in medical care during a hospital procedure in Lagos.
According to her team, the message was initially shared privately with close family members and friends before becoming public. In the statement, Adichie said her son fell ill while the family was in Lagos for the Christmas holidays. What initially appeared to be a mild cold, she explained, quickly developed into a severe infection, leading to his admission at Atlantis Hospital.
Plans were already in place for Nkanu to be flown to the United States on January 7, accompanied by travelling doctors, where a medical team at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore was prepared to receive him.
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As part of preparations for the journey, doctors requested diagnostic procedures, including an MRI scan and a lumbar puncture, as well as the insertion of a central line. Atlantis Hospital subsequently referred the family to Euracare Hospital, which was recommended for carrying out the procedures.
Adichie recounted that on the morning of January 6, her son was taken to Euracare Hospital and sedated to enable the MRI and central line placement. While waiting outside the operating theatre, she said she noticed medical staff rushing in, signalling that something had gone wrong.
She was later informed that Nkanu had been administered an excessive dose of the sedative propofol by the anesthesiologist, became unresponsive, and had to be resuscitated.
According to the statement, the child was subsequently placed on a ventilator and admitted to the intensive care unit, where he later suffered seizures and cardiac arrest. He died hours later.
Adichie alleged that her son was not properly monitored after the sedative was administered and claimed that critical medical protocols were not followed. She accused the anesthesiologist involved of gross negligence, describing his actions as careless and dangerous.
The author further stated that she has since learned of other alleged incidents involving the same anesthesiologist and questioned why he was allowed to continue practising. She called for accountability, saying her son was brought in for routine procedures while stable, only for the situation to end in tragedy.
“This must never happen to another child,” Adichie said, adding that the loss of her son has been devastating and life-altering. As of the time of this report, Euracare Hospital has not publicly responded to the allegations outlined in the statement.
