With seven children to her credit including a set of twin boys, Mrs Janet Shehu, 31 who hails from Chory Village near Kwoi in Jaba local government area of Kaduna State by Nigerian standard should be a proud mother for having more than enough of the fruit of the womb.
Alas, at just 31 years of age she is in extreme pains as she battles the discomfort of Fibroid and the
wreckage of poverty in her life. A two-fold challenges that has push her family of nine to the abyss.
Married in 2005 to Mr Joseph Shehu, 35, a security guard at an Estate in Kuje in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) the family only live on a meagre income. The entire family had to squeeze themselves into the space of a gate house where Mr Shehu work as a security guard.
The situation forced a relative to come to the family’s assistant by taking the first born to live with him in Kaduna to create space for the remaining siblings and reducing the burden on Shehu.
But their condition turned for the worst when Janet fell sick in August, 2015. The family had thought that by consulting their traditional herbs, solution will be found but to no avail.
The situation became worse for the family in January, 2016 when the results of test from the Kuje General Hospital indicated that Janet had Liver problem and required operations.
Speaking to LEADERSHIP Weekend, Mr Shehu said the cost of having the operation which is above what the family can raise forced him to evacuate his wife to a local hospital in Kagarko in Kaduna State.
“The situation didn’t improve at home and so we decided to take her to General Hospital at Kachia in Kaduna State where it was confirmed that my wife has Liver problem and Fibroid as well which requires an operation,” Shehu said.
Mr Shehu simply asked the hospital to prescribe some pain relievers since he couldn’t raise money for the operation.
On returning to Kuje, Janet couldn’t bear the pains and has lost most of her body weight. The development forced the husband to return to Kuje General Hospital for attention with no money for proper treatment.
“I was told that my wife’s operation will cost N200, 000 and honestly I cannot raise that kind of money now. I feel her pains, I pray nothing happens to her. To provide food for the children is a big challenge let alone medical bill,” Shehu lamented.
When our correspondent visited the gate house residence of the family, the nursing mother was visibly in pains with a swollen stomach. She cried for help saying “I don’t want to leave my children, they are too young. Sleeping has been a problem for me as the pains continue to increase by the day,” she cried.
The medical condition of Janet has affected her breast milk production denying her little baby who is now suffering from ‘stunted growth’ as a result of poor nutrition.
With only one mattress for the entire family, most of Shehu’s children sleep on bare floor. The sanitary condition at the gate house is appalling as the children were spotted in tattered cloths who just roam around the estate compound.
LEADERSHIP Weekend contacted some residents of the Estate where Mr Shehu work. Although all those who spoke preferred their names not mentioned but confirmed the dire state of the family.
“We are worried over the condition of the family, the wife is sick with a burden of a sucking baby, they don’t have enough food to eat. Some of us have tried in our small way to help,” one resident said.
Of worry to some other residents is the number of children in the family. “Some of us are worried that a man who live in gate house has so many children and there is no sign the couple are done with child baring,” a resident lamented.
It was also learnt that in a bid to control the family’s child baring, some group of women in the estate put together funds and introduce family planning measures to the family.
This was after the sixth child was born but “unfortunately, the family planning failed even though it was done at a General Hospital and the family had the seventh child and we are afraid another baby might soon emerge again,” a concerned house wife said.
When approached for comment, officials at the Kuje General Hospital declined to comment on the matter but some staff who pleaded anonymity told LEADERSHIP Weekend that Janet is among the long list of poverty stricken persons in the hospital list that cannot foot their medical bills.
“Such individuals largely depends on spirited individuals who come to the hospital to assist the poor and sick but unfortunately Janet has not felt the touch of human kindness yet,” the staff said.
Many are worried that Janet condition might degenerate in the near future because of the family’s present living condition which is not healthy.
The family could barely have a decent meal in a day and with a life threatening medical condition, residents fear for the worst if something urgent is not done to save the life of the mother of seven.
Nothing could be more appealing to Mr Shehu than to see his wife of 11 years get to her feet and helping him in the grooming of the six children.
While Shehu fears for the worst, he told LEADERSHIP Weekend that he will be more than happy to get help from any source to save his wife’s life.
EmoticonEmoticon