The family of RichPearl Ugwu is pleading with Nigerians for urgent financial help to keep the three-year-old alive as she battles Stage IV kidney cancer at Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital in Edo State.
RichPearl was diagnosed with nephroblastoma, a cancer of the kidneys, with the disease already spreading to her lungs. Her mother, Crystabel Ugwu, said the child first developed abdominal swelling on the right side in 2024. What the family thought was a minor injury grew worse over weeks, forcing them to take her from a clinic in Ekpoma to the teaching hospital for specialised care.
Doctor Okosun O.A., a consultant paediatrician at the hospital, confirmed the diagnosis after CT scans in April 2025. The child needs 12 months of chemotherapy, medications and support care. The hospital estimated the total cost at N11.7 million.
Crystal Ugwu said the family has already spent everything they saved. Her husband works as a vulcanizer earning less than N20,000 monthly, while she sells goods in Ekpoma. Even with both working, they cannot raise the amount needed to treat their daughter.
"We are begging the public to help us save our daughter. We don't want to lose her because we are poor," the mother said.
The family is asking anyone who can help to send donations to: Account Name: Ugwu RichPearl Chinecheremu, Account Number: 1048101972, Bank: FCMB. Alternatively, people can call +234 703 646 0006. Corporate organisations and philanthropists have also been appealed to for assistance.
Without the funds, RichPearl's treatment at the hospital will stall, putting her life in greater danger. The family hopes Nigerians will respond quickly to save the child's life.
