Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie Recounts The Tragic Events Leading To Her Son’s Death

Renowned writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has released a deeply emotional statement recounting the circumstances surrounding the death of her 21-month-old son, Nkanu. Her media team confirmed that she authored the statement, which was initially shared privately with close family members and friends.
According to Adichie, the family was in Lagos for Christmas when Nkanu developed what first appeared to be a mild cold. His condition, however, quickly worsened into a serious infection, leading to his admission at Atlantis Hospital. Plans were already in place for him to travel to the United States the following day, January 7, accompanied by travelling doctors, with a medical team at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore prepared to receive him.
As part of the preparations for his transfer, the Johns Hopkins team requested an MRI and a lumbar puncture, while the Nigerian medical team decided to insert a central line in readiness for the journey. Atlantis Hospital referred the family to Euracare Hospital, described to them as the best facility to carry out these procedures.
On the morning of January 6, Nkanu was taken from Atlantis to Euracare, carried in his father’s arms. Adichie was informed that sedation would be required to prevent him from moving during the MRI and central line procedure. While she waited just outside the operating theatre, she noticed unusual activity as medical staff rushed inside, immediately sensing that something had gone wrong.
She was later told that Nkanu had been given an excessive dose of propofol by the anesthesiologist, causing him to become unresponsive. Although he was reportedly resuscitated, he was placed on a ventilator, intubated, and moved to the intensive care unit. Soon after, he suffered seizures and cardiac arrest. Hours later, Nkanu died.
Adichie stated that she later learned her son was allegedly not properly monitored after sedation, and that there was uncertainty about when he became unresponsive. She described what she believes was a failure to follow established medical protocols and characterised the care given as dangerously casual.
“What we brought in was a child who was sick but stable and scheduled to travel the next day,” she wrote. “We came to conduct basic procedures, and suddenly our beautiful little boy was gone forever.”
In her statement, Adichie expressed overwhelming grief, describing the loss of her son as living through her worst nightmare. She also raised concerns about patient safety, alleging that there had been previous similar incidents involving the same anesthesiologist, and questioned why such a situation was allowed to continue.
Her account ends with a plea that no other child should suffer the same fate, turning her personal tragedy into a call for accountability and safer medical practices.