Popular Nollywood actress, Kate Henshaw, says she and her friends have made arrangement to return the funds raised for Michael Alvez, a
two-year-old boy born with an ulcerous growth in the face,Punch reports.
Henshaw added that she had asked Nigerians to stop paying into an account opened for the
victim’s treatment, adding that the development was as a result of the request of the family
that she stopped assisting the family after disagreements over Michael’s welfare.
PUNCH Metro had reported that Henshaw’s attention
was drawn to Michael and his mother’s condition through the social media.
The mother, Mary, had reportedly been using him to beg for alms in the Onikan area of Lagos State when some residents snapped their
pictures.
Henshaw was reportedly tagged on Twitter sometime in March 2016, and she took interest
in the case.
After locating them, the baby was admitted to the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Idi
Araba, after which the actress involved a non- governmental organisation, Project Alert on
Violence Against Women, before the Lagos State Government was also notified.
After a strike action by medical workers at LUTH, the baby, who was only 14 months old
then, was allegedly admitted to a shelter home of Project Alert, where the grandmother stayed
with him.
His mother was alleged to have fled the hospital.
After some disagreements, Michael’s aunt, Sidi,
volunteered to take custody of the child, while the NGO was saddled with the responsibility of paying his medical bill from funds raised for the purpose.
it was learnt that shortly after the aunt took
over the baby’s custody, the mother, Mary,
returned and Sidi handed over the child to her.
His condition was said to have deteriorated,
leading to his re-admission to LUTH.Project
Alert said it was worried by the development
and wrote the Lagos State Government on
November 18, 2016, asking for a shelter for
Michael.
The state government, in its response in
December 2016, approved a home for Michael,
which was allegedly rejected by the family.
The aunt, Sidi, was said to have again asked
the government to release the child to her.
A letter from the Lagos State Government,
dated February 23, 2017, and directed to Sidi,
approved the request.
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