Shalom held her three- year-old son close to her bosom and wept bitterly because the ” little man ” was in so much pain as a result of some sickle cell crisis.
In her mind, she knew without being told that the poor boy didn’t deserve to go through such agony. The had – I – known syndrome wasn’t making her guilt ride easy. The feeling of guilt and the whispers of ” we knew it would come to this”, had become so unbearable.
Though her family and friends were so kind not to voice their displeasure, it showed on their faces and countenance. Every eye contact and conversation felt like everyone was talking about her.
Although all this did not matter at that point; what was most important was how Jesse, her little boy, would get better. She wouldn’t stop asking herself this question in her quiet moment, ” is this the way my baby will go through life?”
The little boy’s health situation was quite pathetic. A situation the neophyte didn’t bring upon himself; he has his careless love – struck parents to thank for this.
Shalom was quite lucky because in the traumatic state, she had the support of her husband, who stood by her and their son. According to him, ” we are all in this together and we would win”.
Abike, however, wasn’t as lucky, with a husband and in – laws who felt having a child with sickle cell was her fault. Her situation and that of her Seven-year-old daughter was so bad that her in – laws had taken another wife for her husband whom they hoped would give birth to a child that is ” whole”.
Baba Steven, as he is fondly called in the hospital ward, bore the cross of his son’s sickle cell anemia with quiet strength.
Nobody in the hospital ward had ever met his wife, Stevens mother. He hardly told his story, he tried his best to juggle his business with his son’s care because his son was a frequent visitor at the hospital because lately his crisis had become incessant. He eventually opened up to tell his story during a group counseling session at the hospital.
Stevens mother left with their older daughter who had no sickle cell anemia. She said she could not stand to see her son in such pain, and she wouldn’t stop blaming her husband for Stevens health conditions because they both knew that they stood a risk of having a child with sickle cell anemia if they had another child. She didn’t want another child but he desired another, but this happened.
He carried his cross with bravery; he hoped and believed that a miracle would happen, and his son would be healed. His prayers were met with a thunderous amen from other parents and patients who obviously were also praying for a miracle.
A curious question which keeps coming up is ‘why would parents deliberately bring children with sickle cell anemia to the world to suffer and pass through this trauma?’
Obviously, in this time and age, nobody needs the angels, heavenly host and medicals to tell them that a particular genotype cannot get married to each other or else they would bring forth sickle cell carrier kids. This excuse is from the ages past.
The most disturbing answer majority of these parents give is ” love “. They believe their strong and unweaving love for each other can weather the storm and conquer and also see them through situations like this.
Sincerely, can love conquer physical pain and health challenges?
Why would anyone deliberately bring a child or children to the world to suffer?
With the level of awareness created on social media, newspapers, hospitals and even during marriage counseling in churches and mosques, some couples still stand together and ” faith it”.
Should this happen, is it really worth the trauma and troubles? No one can actually paint ignorance as an excuse, the world has become a global village where information flows freely on all channels. Even, the common man on the street and the very uneducated would not claim ignorance on the subject of genotype incompatibility.
Sincerely, if in doubt, intending couples should seek help from the appropriate quarters before getting married. Partners should not give in to pressure and avoid desperation.
It is okay to have faith, there is nothing God cannot do, but what does the Bible teach about obedience?
Honestly, you wouldn’t want to witness a child even an adult during a sickle cell crisis; the pain is undescribable. Then why put kids through this in this time and age?
These following steps can help a sickle cell patient stay healthy and avoid complications and frequent crises.
The basics: Taking folic acid, choosing a balanced diet, drinking plenty of water to stay hydrated, avoiding extreme temperatures, regular exercises as recommended by a physician; it is important alsi not to overdo this.
Use medication with caution among other healthy routines.
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