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'Don't throw your child away'
Several myths are associated with babies with Cerebral Palsy (CP). And often, according to Mrs Nonyelum Nweke, who has a baby with the condition, people tend to give spiritual connotations to these babies and refer to them as "spiritual babies". People describe children with CP as snails or fish.
Traditionally, such babies are believed to be inhabited by spirits of some animals. It is also believed that if they are abandoned in the bush, they would transmute into the animal inhabiting them.
Cerebral Palsy (CP) is a neurological disorder that affects the major part of the brain, the cerebrum, resulting in paralysis of some major nerves that control movements in the body.
It affects the child's ability to develop the act of crawling, standing, walking, talking, and general movements. It can occur during pregnancy as a result of infection, radiation, trauma and stress; during childbirth as a result of prolonged labour due to the size of the baby, and other related problems of childbirth; or after birth up to about the age of three.
However, Nweke, whose experience with her baby who has CP, has made her shrug off the traditional myths, calls on parents not to abandon their babies with any health conditions.
Although she does not have a biological child of her own, her experience with her adopted baby who has CP, would make one wonder. What manner of love would make a woman abandon her lucrative business to cater for a child with a difficult health condition?
Nweke who runs a Cerebral Palsy Centre, trashed the traditional myth while encouraging parents and siblings to show children with CP love and care rather than abandon them. She says "Most times, parents who have children with cerebral palsy do abandon them due to traditional belief that they are fish, snail or whatever.
"Such people take their child with CP to the bush or evil forest and abandon them there believing that they would turn into whatever animal. It is erroneous and must be stopped. Even parents who are enlightened often hide children with CP because of stigmatization and whatever.
When such happens, the siblings to such babies also feel ashamed to associate with them or tell their friends that they have a sister or brother with such condition. But it is wrong.
They are human beings and must be loved and taken care of the same way other children are loved. Parents should not throw them away or abandon them. If they are proud to show them off, the society would not have any choice than to accept them. That is what I tell parents because that was what I went through with my baby.
I do tell friends and even church members who were initially scared of touching my baby believing that if they cannot shake her hands, then they should not bother to shake me. "We occasionally make sure that parents of babies with CP take their turn to take care of the babies in the centre.
We also make sure that their siblings as well as parents take them home and bring them back daily in time, giving them the needed attention and priorities, showing them affection and love. Families of children with CP are welcomed in the centre to interact with their children and with each other.
This centre is not just a place for therapy, but a place where families can find each other, share joys, heartaches and learn from experiences gained from raising children with Cerebral Palsy.
Siblings of children with CP need to tell their friends about such babies when they are interacting with each other so that when then eventually see them, they would not be surprised or feel ashamed to associate with them" she advised. Narrating her heart touching foray into providing care for children with CP, Nweke said that children are not material possessions that one could buy and if found defective, would be returned to the sellers.
"My baby, Chizimuzondu was adopted as a six-day-old baby. She gave me so much joy because I did not have a baby of my own. With time, however, I noticed that Zimuzo, as I fondly call her, was not developing appropriately. She was not achieving her developmental milestones. At four months she was yet to hold up her head, reach for toys or do any of the things babies her age would do. She used to shake and shiver like she was always cold, what I now know, after some studies, to be spasm and seizures.
When I consulted a doctor, it was dismissed with a wave of hand, saying that some babies are naturally slow developers. "Nevertheless, at five months, she was diagnosed with CP at Owerri Sick Bay, a private children's hospital in Imo State. Coincidentally, Zimuzo was adopted from Owerri through the Ministry of Women Development and Social Welfare.
The doctor, the owner of the hospital, advised me to take back the child to the ministry, had fearing that I would not be able to take care of such a child. On getting to the ministry, I met with the head of the unit, who insisted that I leave the baby, believing that I would not be able to take care of her due to the challenging condition while assuring me that they would arrange for another baby for me.
I asked them what would happen to the baby if I should abandon her; they said that they would just leave her in the orphanage. I was touched. I don't think that babies are like pieces of furniture or material possessions that could be bought and if found faulty, returned to the sellers. Whether they are physically challenged or with whatever deformities, they are human beings and must be shown love. "Prior to that encounter, I have heard about Cerebral Palsy and the doctor's reaction, clearly showed that the condition is not easy to manage.
But I was ready to show Zimuzo love. I made up my mind to take care of her, show her motherly love. And that is what I have been doing. That is what I teach other parents to do as well.
That was what led to the establishment of this centre," she stated. Nweke braced the odds, abandoned her lucrative fast food business located at Surulere, studied the condition and ventured into the tortuous path of giving care to as many babies with the condition. "I started a search for a place that cares for children with Cerebral Palsy, a place where I could leave her during the day so that I can attend to my business. I could not find one. A friend later took me to an orphanage which was then located off Adeniran Ogunsanya Street, Surulere.
The orphanage was caring for children with different forms of disabilities. The owners accepted but later reneged. So, I was faced with challenge of looking after Zimuzo, managing my business, keeping doctor's appointments and going for physiotherapy at Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH). I later found a day care center close to my residence.
They accepted Zimuzo, but the very next day while at work, the head teacher invited me to a meeting and told me that they could not take care of her because other parents would withdraw their children from the center. That is discrimination. But I was not deterred. My continuous search informed my establishment of the Cerebral Palsy Centre."
The centre, she said, "provides early intervention services, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, special education services. It also gives information on newer alternative therapies. Most of these therapies work on the principle of neuroplasticity of the brain.
It also provides the services of special educators and information on cerebral palsy in general." She advised further: "If children with CP are not taken to good hospitals for diagnosis and advice on how they should be taken care of, the parents would be at a loss as to how the child's condition could be managed.
In our society, parents who have such children often blame it on their perceived enemies, on somebody who does not want their progress, who does not want them to have babies, and so on. But that is not the case.
The condition is not spiritual. It is not contagious. It is a physical disability in human development due to damages to the brain, especially the cerebrum, causing paralysis to part of the brain.
"We therefore encourage parents to register their children as soon they are diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy because early intervention therapy is the key to successful rehabilitation.
With proper management and adequate therapy, children from the center can function well in regular schools, we advocate their inclusion in these schools," she admonished. The centre, however, still needs the help of people with caring hearts so that it could provide more care for such babies. "We are facing several challenges at the centre.
We need a bus. The space is not big enough for the children to exercise and play. We need better and bigger space to operate. We are presently is a rented apartment and there are limits to what one can do with rented apartments.
We are calling on public spirited individuals, corporate organisations; federal, state and local governments to show these children love by providing for their well being. They should not be abandoned. Despite the damages to their brain at childhood, they have the right to tolilive," she charged to live," she charged.
National Mirror