Man, wife in untold agony over daughter born without reproductive organ, anus

From Uchenna Inya, Abakaliki

The family of Samuel Ibina of Nduegueshi Akpenyi, Umuoguduoshia  Ngbo community in Ohaukwu Local Government Area of Ebonyi State are in untold agony. Each passing day, their sense of distress escalates tremendously. They are worried about their seven-year-old daughter, who was born without reproductive organ and anus and she would become netter.

The couple are peasant farmers in their agrarian settlement and have searched for solutions to the medical problem of their daughter to no avail.

They are lamenting that they had spent all their little resources to save the child without results.

They are now appealing to the Ebonyi State Governor, Francis Nwifuru, his wife, the state Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, philanthropists, corporate bodies, well-spirited individuals and other Nigerians to come to their rescue and help save the child from permanent deformity.

Narrating her plight, the mother of the child, Mrs Ngozi Ibina explained that her daughter’s reproductive organ was abnormally sealed from birth without any form of vagina and anus openings.

According to her, when the abnormality was discovered shortly after her birth in November 2017 at Alex Ekwueme Federal University Teaching Hospital Abakaliki , two openings were created on the tummy for defecating and urinating respectively, as the poor family couldn’t afford the cost for major corrective surgeries required.

She regretted that the situation has exposed the child to pain, stigmatisation and depression, as well as penury and frustration on the part of the parents.

“This is the seventh year of her birth. As soon as I gave birth to this child, my first daughter, who was about 18 years, died mysteriously. When we noticed this unusual condition of no openings at all in her supposed reproductive organ and anus, the hospital created some improvised means of defecating and urinating by opening part of the stomach. This was because we couldn’t sponsor the required major surgeries.

“This condition has exposed my child to severe pains and stigmatisation from people. It has exposed me to depression and many other unpleasant situations.

“I am compelled to stay at home to take care of her constantly, abandoning my farm work and other engagements,” the woman lamented.

“I am appealing to the state government, Ohaukwu Local Government chairman, and everyone who can be of help to please help us financially to remedy this ugly situation.”

On his part, father of the child, Samuel Ibina pleaded for assistance to give the child a life worth living.

His words: “We went through hell to sponsor the two surgeries already done. We were told at the hospital that she needs to undergo more series of major surgeries to correct the situation.

“At a point, we were told it’s diabolical and only prayers can help us. So we travelled to Elele, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, to the Catholic Pilgrims Arena and spent two months. Yet there was no miracle in that regard.

“There is no where people recommended for solution that I didn’t go, except medical surgeries, and that is because of the huge funds involved.

“As it stands, It seems I cannot run away from it. I beg the government and general public to help me to overcome this challenge and give my baby a life. What is life without reproductive organ and anus?”