The silent killer, aka Hypertension, and its long-term sequelae, stroke, has had a profound impact upon my family. It has claimed the lives of a majority of my beloved maternal relatives. On March 31, 2008, my life came to a devastating halt. While visiting our beloved homeland of Nigeria, my mother suffered an apparent hemorrhagic stroke. Without a viable medical center nearby, she was taken to a local “teaching hospital.” I use the term teaching hospital very generously. The cause of her death remains a mystery to this day. Based on her long history of battling hypertension, presenting chief complaint “my head is killing me,” the symptoms that preceded her cry for help, and my medical neurosurgery background, hemorrhagic stroke was undeniably the culprit of my mother’s demise.

This mother of four college-educated children, grandmother of nine, a college master’s degree holder, a former primary school teacher in my home country, and a prominent figure in the Nigerian community of Nashville, Tennessee, lay on a worn-out stretcher with no medical attention in sight. An intravenous drip (normal saline) was administered, which only exacerbated her dire condition (raising her blood pressure even more). A plain CT scan of her head could have easily confirmed the diagnosis, but no such device was available. If such a device was readily accessible and the diagnosis confirmed, she could have been taken to a local hospital with neurosurgical capabilities.

The pain of her death, though it has been 16 years, remains buried in the chambers of my heart. The pain that was ever so present was transformed into a passion by Almighty God. A passion to build a multipurpose medical facility to provide the vital healthcare services that we are so fortunate and privileged to have in the US. That passion has led me to this day as we embark upon the development of the PC Osuigwe Memorial Medical Center. What is in God’s will, no man can stop. It is not a matter of if this center will be built but when. If one person’s life can be saved by the establishment of this medical center, my late mother’s death will not have been in vain. My vision is twofold. Phase I: Medical Center. Once the medical center is built and self-sufficient, we will move into the second phase. Phase II: Ambulatory Surgical Center to provide acute surgical intervention. This is an enormous task which I cannot venture alone. I need your help. If you are in a position to donate or contribute in any capacity to this project, your assistance is greatly appreciated. There is a link that is provided for you to donate in Nigeria and in the United States. I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

1 life saved is EVERYTHING !!!!!!

God Bless

Sincerely,

Mr. Edward Okechwkwu Osuigwe PA-C, MPAS