Chimamanda Adichie speaks out on her son's death

Two weeks after the Lagos State High Court paused the coroner’s inquest into the death of Nkanu Adichie-Esege, the son of author Chimamanda Adichie, she has now spoken out.

The court's decision came after Eurapharma Care Services Nigeria Limited, which runs Euracare Multi-Specialist Hospital in Victoria Island, filed an urgent application. This is where her son died on January 7.

Chimamanda, who is 48 years old, shared her feelings in a statement on her social media on Saturday. She said she wakes up every day with anxiety in her heart.

The writer of "Purple Hibiscus" explained that she chose to share her letter, dated April 16, because staying silent about Euracare’s alleged mistakes would mean accepting their actions.

She wrote: "I wake up every single morning with my heart racing. Did this really happen? My precious son, Nkanu Nnamdi. My KanKan, my diokpala. The ultimate and utter loneliness of grief is that only you can know the true depth of your despair. I long for, at least, peace to mourn, but Euracare Hospital has robbed me even of that."

Chimamanda also mentioned that she did not want anyone to be personally attacked. She removed two names but kept two for clarity. She stated that since her letter in April, Euracare's actions have worsened. Euracare was the one that first requested an inquest in January, claiming that their son’s death was unexpected and that an inquest was needed because of "rumours of negligence."

The author alleged that Eurapharma had threatened her and her family regarding their son’s death. She insisted that no amount of delay or threats would stop her family from seeking justice.

"What a manipulative and implicitly threatening message to send to a parent whose child died in your hospital. But this threatener does not know how fiercely we love our child. They can drag all they wish in the mud, but our quest for justice will continue."

Chimamanda expressed her gratitude to people around the world who have wished her well. She said, "May you find comfort in your own time of need. Please continue to pray for us. This weight is too heavy."

She also shared that the pain of losing her son has overwhelmed her, more than she can handle. She claimed that the hospital is now asking the High Court to stop the inquest, even though they have "delayed, confused and obscured the process at every turn."

"If this is how Euracare manages a crisis, it is little wonder it mismanaged our precious son’s care. Most egregiously, Euracare is now asking a High Court to stop the inquest. An inquest is a public judicial inquiry designed to establish the circumstances surrounding a death. It is not a trial. It is not a claim for damages. It is simply a search for the truth."

She questioned, "If Euracare cares about the truth, then why create delays and distractions and now, finally, try to stop an inquest?"

A person high up in the hospital ownership told a relative, "I admire and respect Chimamanda so much that I don’t want her to go to court because her name may be dragged in the mud and bad things may be said about her since court cases are about winning and anybody would do anything to win."