More hurdles for child without anus

Reprieve seems still far away for five-year-old Sa’idu Babi who was born without an anus, as the proposed surgery to correct the situation is facing another hurdle.

Sa’idu’s plight was featured more than a year ago when a Good Samaritan came forward to pay for his surgery at Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano.

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However, doctors at the hospital, after examining the child, postponed the surgery by two months because of his low weight.

However, with the COVID-19, which led to a lockdown, the surgery was again postponed.

Now, the situation has taken another twist as the parents of the five-year-old are facing difficulties as the father has lost his job while the mother has fallen sick.

Speaking to Kanem Trust the father, Mohammed Babi, said he finds it difficult to fend for his family because he has lost his job with the local government council.

Babi said when he was employed, he paid for medicines and bought sterilised diapers for his son as well as provided other needs of the family.

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.

Mohammed Babi, who spoke to our correspondent in Potiskum, said: “I feel I have failed in my responsibility of taking care of my child’s health, but God will bear me witness that I was helpful to my family while I was working.

“It is now difficult for us to eat, talk less of providing food like eggs, milk, fish or fruits for the child.

“The room you meet us in the other time was given to us by one of my aunts.

“I didn’t go to school, the only job I know is driving, and I currently don’t have a car to drive and carry passengers and their goods.

“My wife found the situation hard to bear so she went home to her parents along with the child and her mother had been supportive.

“My mother-in-law later asked my wife to bring the child back to me or to my family members but my wife felt that she couldn’t leave the child alone.

“Upon hearing that, however, another aunty of mine in Damagum asked me to send my wife and the child to stay with her.”

In a telephone interview, the child’s mother, Aisha, said Sai’du was sick at that moment.

When contacted, the Executive Secretary Primary Healthcare Management Board, Dr Babagana Kundi Machina, referred the case to the Specialist Hospital Damaturu and donated N20,000 to the family.

As at the time of filing this report, doctors in Damaturu have placed Sa’idu on special diet to enable him to gain more weight.