Two years after an intervention by a good Samaritan, little Saidu from Potiskum, Yobe State, who was born without anus, is yet to undergo surgery to correct his situation at Aminu Kano Teaching hospital.
Saidu was diagnosed by doctors with ‘Anarectal Malformation’ a birth defect of new born that comes with absence of an anal opening together with other abnormalities.
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The child first went through a minor operation when he was two weeks old, where doctors at Aminu Kano Teaching hospital inserted some tubes in his abdomen to enable him to pass stool.
Sa’idu’s plight was first reported by Kanem Trust on December 13, 2019, after which a good Samaritan, who didn’t want his name to be mentioned, offered to pay his medical expenses.
But the corrective surgery, which was slated to take place after the payment of the costs at Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, encountered several postponements because of one challenge or the other.
Doctors at the hospital said they would not conduct the operation on little Saidu then because he was underweight and placed him on special diet to enable him to gain weight.
However, as that was being sorted out, there was a nationwide lock down following the surge of the COVID-19 which further delayed the surgery.
As the lockdown was lifted and Sa’idu was taken back to the hospital, however, the doctors still observed that he was still underweight and postponed the operation once again.
Speaking to Kanem Trust, the child’s father, Mohammed Babi, said the family was facing numerous challenges which is affecting his ability to feed his family.
Babi said he lost his driving job with Potiskum Local Government Council after which he was engaged as a commercial driver but also lost that job as the vehicle he was using broke down.
He said with his situation now, he could not afford the food needed to boost Sa’idu’s weight and prepare him for the long-awaited surgery.
“It is now difficult for me to provide three square meals for my family not to talk of providing items like eggs, milk, fish or fruits for the child.
“For us to even go to Kano for consultancy I would have to beg for transport money from colleagues and neighbours.
He said because of the delay, two persons had approached him with an offer to support the child’s medication.
“But I told them that someone had already paid for the surgery and we even have the receipt with us.’’
Babi said the family is presently facing accommodation problem as in less than two years they have moved to three houses which were given to them to stay for free but the owners ejected them.
“Now the owner of this very one we are managing has given us notice to leave, imagine our difficult condition.
“We got some support of food items from people but once that finishes the progress of the child’s diet would go back to square one,” he also said.
He appealed to individuals and government to offer him a job to enable him to manage Sa’idu before the next date for the surgery.
He said he was forced to take the child, who is now more than six years old, out of school because of his condition.
The child’s mother, Malama Aisha, told our reporter that Saidu could soil more than eight pieces of napkins every day.
“He is difficult to manage because he wouldn’t know when he would pass stool and it will soil his clothes.
“When he passes stool I use pieces of wrapper to clean him and tie another rag on his abdomen.
“He started going to an Islamic school but he couldn’t continue because children are mocking him.”
