Seun and his grandmother
....He was given Ogogoro gin when delivered
...His mother, TOYIN from Kabba
....Mother abandoned him at infancy
....Father died long time ago
....Speech impaired
....Needs assistance
When Toyin was pregnant she was happy that her first fruit was coming which is a blessing of marriage. When she was delivered of the baby the family rejoiced , but their joy did not live long when the traditional midwife discovered that the baby boy did not cry as he should .The local midwife as their practice forced the baby to drink the local gin, 'Ogogoro’ thinking he would sneeze and cry. But that was never be as the strong drink caused a long and lasting side effect on him.
Unfortunately when the baby's condition was getting worse he was taken to the most popular Mercy Children Hospital in Lagos to save him. For Master Seun , a 15 -year -old boy to have survived w
hen
he was born is a miracle while many believed he would have been dead at
infancy but providence made him as he struggled , did not die but
survived .However, his survival has brought untold hardship to his
family, especially his paternal grandmother who has been carrying his
burden since he was born .FROM GRANDMOTHER's MOUTH
The grandmother who is the mother of the boy’s father was in tears when she narrated what she has been passing through.
Her words '' Seun was delivered about 15 years ago in the Ilaje Herbal home,Lagos, when he did not yell at birth, as the Ilaje custom is, they forced into his mouth local gin, Ogogoro . Immediately he swallowed the hard drink he slept off '',the grandmother continued , ''later his body began to change from different colours: blue, brown, white and green yellow .From here he was rushed to the popular Mercy Children Hospital in Lagos Island , where he was certified dead and his body was quickly covered with clothe while his corpse was deposited in the mortuary .’'
BABY WOKE UP IN MORTUARY
However , a miracle happened some days later according to the grandmother, she said ''since my son , who is now late was not around to bury the baby , the mother ( Seun’s mother) had to wait for her husband to arrive from Abuja where he was working. On the fourth day he arrived and we all went to the morgue to claim the baby.As the mortuary attendant or nurse who was asked to go and bring the corpse went in she ran back to tell us that the the baby was blinking his eyes and yawning .We were surprised and we all ran in , but lo and behold it was true .The nurses then said he should be admitted into the ward and treated while the doctor asked us to be paying for his drugs and when he was well , he was discharged.We were all happy and we came home ”
SEUN'S FATHER DIED
According to the grandmother , ''when Seun was two and a half years old his father who was my son and worked as a driver died in an auto crash . Seun’s mother is called Toyin , she is from Kabba, when she saw that baby Seun was not normal she ran away with another baby she had for my late son. But when one of my cousins called Mercury sighted Seun at Mile 12 in Lagos , roaming about at three years old then , he came to tell us . I asked him to bring Seun down to Owo here . I started taking care of him , it was then that I discovered that the boy could not talk properly.If he is afar off he could read your lips . I later took him to the Federal Medical Centre ,Owo for medical attention”.
Seun's grandmother was later told that Seun’s problem started long time ago when he was given Ogogoro to drink which had affected his brain, ''I was told that it was from his brain that the problem started from , and was asked to take him to the University Teaching Hospital , Ibadan (UCH). That is where I am planning for but I was also told that the best treatment he can get is to take him to London for proper medical attention.
''Now, he is 15 years old , and in primary three , he attends Complete Child Primary School, Owo .I am a poor woman and to take care of this boy is a big problem .Imagine , I did not see the mother again .My late son and Seun’s mother met in Lagos and they got married but now she had abandoned this boy and ran away.Who knows what will become of this boy tomorrow ?”
TOYIN ABANDONED SEUN,LEFT WITH A CHILD
As if that was all, the octogenarian said ''I had started taking care of Seun , while they had another baby before my son died in a ghastly auto crash. When the Seun was about three years we discovered that he could not talk properly as his speech was poor, yet we thought it was a matter of time , by this time the mother who is from Kabba decided to flee with the second baby since he discovered this one was handicapped .That has been my predicament all over the years.
“I don’t know that a mother who has blood flowing in her veins could behave like that , she was never seen again.She left me in a limbo,my son who was her husband is no more alive and she treated me like this”, she sobbed.
AT SCHOOL WITH SEUN
On Seun’s education , When this Reporter got to the school he attends , Complete Child Nursery, Primary and secondary School, Owo.The proprietor of the school , a Pastor who begged for anonymity described the boy as a brilliant and hopeful boy in the future but only needs remedy for his speech. The Proprietor said ''When we heard his story we felt for him and were ready to assist him in anyway especially in his education .As he has been with us for sometime , he has improved in his speech but more needs to be done. ''Though it is unfortunate that it happened and it is also an unfortunate incidence, that his mother ran away leaving him to face the life alone .But what they don’t know is that it can happen to anybody and we hope there is NGO who could help if willing to. We advised the grandmother to take him to an hospital but we also learnt that this could be corrected in a foreign land like India and England ”
The wife of the proprietor said she had been watching the boy since he came to the school.Though, he is now in Primary Three but this speech is the problem , he can identify things but cannot say it louder . Seun’s speech is impaired as his speech is not audible for his hearers or listeners to hear and his tongue is not tied on the plate of his mouth , so there is hope for him.Who knows he could be the head of state in the future for one cannot write anybody off ?. The way I saw him is that if he has the opportunity he could be brilliant than any of his peer group , everything is just by chance ”.
His Class teacher said the boy can count numbers one to 10, the teacher added '' he is an obedient boy , he is handsome , a promising child and if he has proper care he would be a fantastic boy.If I call him he would answer me''.
Another sympathizer ,Mr. Tony Adebisi said ''to have such a boy living is a miracle . I am pleading to the Federal Government , researchers , Medical institutions and universities to come to Owo and pick this boy and use him for research. I am ready to assist with the little I have .I am pleading to all Non Governmental Organizations to come to his aid .This is another way to help humanity”, he pleaded
EFFORTS OF HIS GRANDMA ON HIM
His grandmother spoke how she has been making efforts to take care of him,she said ” I have been taking him to churches , and there was improvement. I go to vigil anywhere it is been hold .I lost my husband long time ago. I have spent all my savings to buy drugs for him but since I had been told that he needs good medical attention , that is what I am begging for.I can’t imagine how a baby would be dead and kept in mortuary for four days and survive, this is a miracle but the miracle has to complete with treatment”.
SEUN'S FRIENDS
Some of Seun's class mates see him as their big brother as they rallied round him waving and greeting him, one of them said ” Seun is my big brother , we all love him”.
As Seun took picture with his grandmother he kept on smiling .Imagine his story : from mortuary back to life!.
what help can you offer him ?.
This story was done four years ago but now published . The boy must have grown up now
