Award-winning Nigerian author Chimamanda Adichie alleges medical negligence in son’s death

In a detailed personal account, later confirmed by her media team, Adichie said her son died after what she described as serious failures in basic medical care, during treatment that should have been routine.

According to her account, the family travelled to Lagos for the Christmas holidays when Nkanu fell ill with what initially appeared to be a cold. His condition later worsened into a severe infection, prompting admission to Atlantis Hospital. Doctors arranged an emergency medical evacuation to the United States, with a specialist team at Johns Hopkins Hospital placed on standby.

As part of preparations for the transfer, an MRI scan, lumbar puncture and central line insertion were requested. Atlantis Hospital referred the family to Euracare Multi-Specialist Hospital to carry out the procedures.

Adichie said her son was sedated to prevent movement during the MRI and line insertion. While waiting outside the operating theatre, she noticed senior medical staff rushing in, a moment she said made it clear something had gone wrong. 

She was later told that her son had received an excessive dose of the anaesthetic propofol, became unresponsive and had to be resuscitated. He was then intubated, placed on a ventilator and admitted to intensive care. Adichie said he subsequently suffered seizures and cardiac arrest, conditions he had never previously experienced, and died several hours later.

“How can you sedate a sick child and neglect to monitor him?” Adichie asked, describing the actions as criminally negligent and a breach of basic medical protocol. She also alleged that her son was not continuously monitored after sedation and that his oxygen supply was switched off during transfer to the ICU.

Hospital response

Euracare Hospital has rejected parts of the family’s account. In a statement issued on January 10, it said some reports contained inaccuracies and insisted that care was provided “in line with established clinical protocols and internationally accepted medical standards”. The hospital said the child was critically ill and confirmed that it had launched an internal investigation.

Family rebuttal

The dispute escalated after a rebuttal from the child’s aunt, Dr Anthea Esege Nwandu, a dual board-certified physician with decades of experience in Nigeria and the United States. She challenged Euracare’s claims, disputing its account of the child’s prior treatment and alleging multiple departures from international standards, including failures in oxygen therapy and continuous monitoring.