An 18-year-old depressed mother, Grace Addobea has attempted to end her life and that of her new born baby born without legs over stigmatization.
Grace Addobea was delivered successfully at home by a traditional midwife at their village, Twifo Bonsaho in the Central Region.
But the excitement and joy of her giving birth was cut short after it was noticed that the beautiful baby has no legs.
News of about the baby spread so fast like wild fire across the community which set tongues wagging and becoming the topic for discussion in the community, making the mother feel very uncomfortable.
According to the young mother, during her pregnancy she received her antenatal care at Wassa Ateiku health center but she wasn’t told the baby had any deformity after several medical check ups.
In her 9th month when she attended antenatal care she was told that she did not have enough blood to ensure safe delivery so they referred her to Christian hospital popularly known as “church” also at Wassa Ateiku where the doctor after medical assessment told her that the baby was coming with her buttocks so they have to perform a surgery to deliver the baby when her delivery time is due.
But she shockingly gave birth to a legless baby girl. The man who impregnated her, Paa Kwasi, subsequently deserted her and the baby.
Since then, the young mother has tried several times to kill the baby and herself because residents are talking evil about her and her family. But it took the interventions of her parents to stop her.
Addobea’s mother in-law Maame Effua Atta who should have served as a source of motivation to her also told her when she (Maame Effua Atta) visited them that if she was the one who delivered Addobea, she would have killed the baby on arrival.
Opanin Emmanuel Lartey, father of Grace Addobea in an interview with Kasapa News Yaw Boagyan made passionate appeal to NGOs, individuals, government, religious groups to come to their aid to ensure that this wonderful baby survives.
Source: Kasapafmonline.com/Yaw Boagyan