According to Punch Newspaper, a 27-year-old makeup artist based in Delta State, Ruth Enakerakpo, has opened up about her painful battle with Acute Myeloid Leukaemia, revealing how the illness has separated her from her one-year-old daughter and left her family struggling to raise nearly N100m for treatment.
Speaking in an interview with Saturday PUNCH, the young mother said her daughter barely recognises her because she has spent most of the past several months in and out of hospitals receiving treatment.
Enakerakpo, who studied Chemistry Education at Delta State University, Abraka, said she got married in 2023 shortly after graduation and welcomed her daughter in April 2025.
According to her, life was normal until a few months after childbirth when she began experiencing persistent illness, weakness, and rapid weight loss.
“At first, I thought it was malaria. I went to the hospital and was treated, but I didn’t get better. I became weaker and couldn’t walk long distances again,” she said.
The Delta-based makeup artist explained that further medical investigations later confirmed she had Acute Myeloid Leukaemia, a cancer affecting the blood and bone marrow.
“I was devastated when I heard the diagnosis. I had just given birth and was still breastfeeding my baby. Instead of enjoying motherhood, I suddenly found myself fighting for my life,” she stated.
Enakerakpo disclosed that doctors recommended chemotherapy and eventually a bone marrow transplant as the only lasting treatment option.
She said the cost of treatment had become overwhelming for her family, noting that her first chemotherapy session alone exceeded N15m.
“That was when I had to come online and ask people for help. It was difficult because I’m someone who usually shares happy moments on social media. But at that point, it was about survival,” she explained.
According to her, she initially went into remission after chemotherapy, but the cancer returned aggressively about two months later.
“The remission only lasted for about two months. By March, I became sick again, and this time it came back more aggressively,” she added.
The mother of one said she is currently receiving targeted therapy and chemotherapy at Asaba Specialist Hospital using a drug called Mylotarg, which costs about N420,000 per dose.
She explained that doctors advised her to travel to India for a bone marrow transplant because the procedure is not readily accessible in Nigeria.
“The estimated cost, including treatment, travel, and recovery, is close to N100m,” she said.
Speaking emotionally about the impact of the illness on her family, Enakerakpo lamented that she had barely spent quality time with her husband and daughter since her diagnosis.
“The hardest part has been my daughter. Since September, I’ve barely been able to care for her properly because I’m constantly in and out of the hospital.
“Sometimes my daughter hardly recognises me because she hasn’t been able to stay with me consistently. She barely knows her father too because everyone is focused on saving my life,” she said.
Enakerakpo appealed to Nigerians for financial assistance, saying she still hopes to recover and watch her daughter grow up…….See More
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