{"id":1792,"date":"2026-06-14T11:16:02","date_gmt":"2026-06-14T08:16:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/chimamanda-adichie-claims-hospital-negligence-in-letter-on-sons-death\/"},"modified":"2026-06-14T11:16:02","modified_gmt":"2026-06-14T08:16:02","slug":"chimamanda-adichie-claims-hospital-negligence-in-letter-on-sons-death","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/zalebs.com\/news\/chimamanda-adichie-claims-hospital-negligence-in-letter-on-sons-death\/","title":{"rendered":"Chimamanda Adichie Claims Hospital Negligence in Letter on Son\u2019s Death"},"content":{"rendered":"

Nigerian award-winning novelist Chimamanda Adichie has reignited a deeply painful hospital dispute after sharing a letter she says she wrote earlier this year detailing the circumstances surrounding the death of her son, Nkanu\u2014affectionately called \u201cKanKan\u201d\u2014and accusing Euracare Multi-Specialist Hospital of serious failings in his care.<\/p>\n

A letter lays out Adichie\u2019s account of Nkanu\u2019s final days<\/h2>\n

On June 13, Adichie uploaded a letter she originally penned on April 16, 2026, addressed to the chair of the board of Euracare Multi-Specialist Hospital. In the document, she described the loss of her child and set out a range of allegations against the hospital and its personnel.<\/p>\n

Adichie began by portraying Nkanu as a loving, joyful toddler with an emotional maturity that stood out even at his young age. She wrote that her twin boys were \u201cprecious and perfect gifts,\u201d adding that Nkanu\u2019s emotional intelligence was unusual for his stage of development.<\/p>\n

She also recalled intimate moments that, in her view, reflected his gentle nature\u2014comforting her when she was in pain, sharing his toys with his twin brother, and bringing warmth and laughter to family gatherings.<\/p>\n

In the letter, she captured the stark reality of the aftermath by pointing out that the home had been set up with two of everything for their twin sons\u2014two highchairs, two car seats, and two toddler beds\u2014before noting that now there was only one toddler.<\/p>\n

Allegations after an MRI sedation, and a contested death certificate<\/h2>\n

Central to Adichie\u2019s claims is what she says happened after Nkanu was sedated for an MRI. She alleged that on January 6, not long after the sedation began, complications developed and led to his death the next day.<\/p>\n

In the letter, Adichie asserted that Euracare\u2019s medical director allegedly told her that an anesthesiologist had given \u201ctoo much propofol\u201d to Nkanu.<\/p>\n

She further claimed that, following sedation, her son was not monitored adequately, resulting in respiratory and cardiac arrest and then hypoxic brain injury. Adichie wrote plainly that Nkanu never regained consciousness.<\/p>\n

The author also challenged the official cause of death listed on Nkanu\u2019s death certificate. The document, she said, cited bacterial and fungal meningitis, but Adichie argued that there was no medical basis for that conclusion and insisted the certificate needed to be corrected.<\/p>\n

Claims of admissions, shifting hospital responses, and missing documentation<\/h2>\n

Adichie said the hospital\u2019s medical director initially acknowledged errors during her son\u2019s care and promised disciplinary action against the anesthesiologist involved. However, she claimed the hospital\u2019s position later changed.<\/p>\n