Through compassion, partnership, and service, Rotary continues to change lives. Children born with congenital heart defects often described as a “hole in the heart” are being given a renewed chance at life through life-saving medical care made possible by Rotary.
What once seemed like a hopeless situation has now become a story of courage, care, and restored hope. By connecting families to critical treatment and support, Rotary is helping these young hearts beat stronger and brighter for the future.
God’s-Love Chukwuma, Hamzat Adeyemi, and Unoma Guobadia are three young beneficiaries whose lives were transformed through this Rotary Foundation global grant project named- “Gift of Life” project of Rotary International District 9111 under the leadership of Immediate Past District Governor, Dr. Oluwole Kukoyi in collaboration with districts 3310, 3291, 1145, and 9104.
Following a rigorous and careful screening exercise, the children were selected and subsequently flown to Narayana Super Specialty Hospital in Kolkata, India, where they received the life-saving surgeries. At a welcome reception held at the Rotary Centre in Ikeja, Lagos on Monday, March 16, 2026, emotions ran high as parents expressed deep gratitude to Rotary. In heartfelt testimonies, they shared how the intervention restored hope to their families.
“My son couldn’t walk on his own before now. I always had to carry him on my back while his younger sibling walked beside us. It was always overwhelming,” Mrs. Adeyemi shared, as she attended the reception with her husband. “God’s Love is our only son. We had almost lost hope after months of searching for help, but Rotary showed up for us,” Mr. Chukwuma said with gratitude.
District Governor, Prince Henry Akinyele, congratulated the beneficiaries and commended the Gift of Life Committee, led by its Chairman, Dr. Hassan Adelakun, for their dedication to saving young lives and bringing hope to families.
In the same vein, Dr. Alaba Oladimeji and Dr. Ajibade were specially appreciated for their selfless contributions to the success of the Gift of Life Project.
As part of Rotary’s continued commitment to strengthening local medical capacity, Dr. Ajibade is also set to benefit from the second phase of the project, a sponsored hands-on training in India focused on advanced and complex heart surgeries. This initiative aims to equip local specialists with the expertise needed to deliver life-saving cardiac care to even more children in Nigeria.