Read The Heart Breaking Mail A Father Sent American Embassy In Nigeria After His Son's Medical Visa Refusal And Death..

A picture of the boy.

                     15/12/2014

The Consulate General

United States of America Embassy

Consular Section, Lagos (Visas)

(Visas and American Citizens Services)

2, Walter Carrington Crescent 

Victoria Island

Lagos

Nigeria

West Africa.

                   Dear Sir, 

                             

It is with a heavy heart and unbearable pain that I write this letter. My son Gabriel Temitayo Bada, born on the 14th of January 1990 is gone! Gone too soon! 

Gabriel Temitayo Bada who was suffering from a heart problem and needed to undergo surgery applied for a medical visa at the United States of America Embassy and on the 19th of November 2014 was subsequently refused. 



This is after all necessary arrangements had been made by me his father. Where do I start from? Why  would any parent have to bury their own child? I put in a lot of effort in ensuring that Gabriel Temitayo be brought to America for treatment but all my efforts were rebuffed. 

After the shock of the refusal, Gabriel Temitayo Bada collapsed at the embassy and thereafter his condition worsened and he even asked me at a point what was going to happen next and if there was a plan B. 

All this, while going through excruciating pains and suffering. I decided to write and send the embassy an urgent e-mail, explaining our plight and assuring them that Gabriel Temitayo Bada was a genuine applicant who wanted to come only for a heart surgery. I went further by highlighting the fact that he was a final year Accounting student and had only a semester to go before graduation. I did get a reply from the embassy via e-mail but that didn't look promising. 

Due to the urgency of the matter and our desperation, I proceeded to forward all the supporting documents including medical reports from both the hospitals in Nigeria and also the hospital in America to the embassy in Nigeria as both hospitals were liaising.  

I believe that the deciding officer at the United states of America Embassy was prejudiced towards my son by not following due process thereby leading to the death of my son Gabriel Temitayo Bada on Thursday the 4th of December 2014. 

How could anyone be this heartless? I know that if Nigeria had not failed its citizens and adequate and proper health care is being provided, people like me would not find succour elsewhere. 

This is too painful. I type in tears, knowing that my life would never remain the same again. I know embassy staff have been trained not to show compassion as was depicted in the e-mail reply from the embassy, but instead to use their discretion and intuition, but I believe that we are all human after all, and there are exceptional cases. 

To the deciding officer that refused my son, I know that you also have children and if not, then family members that have children and I hope you never have to go through what I am going through as I don't wish it on my worst enemy.  Thank you very much and God bless you.

Yours Faithfully,

Joseph ******** *********.