For residents of Sabon garin Kuraye, a sleepy community at Charanchi
local government area of Katsina state, Friday the 28th of September
will remain indelible in their mind as it marked the day the community
witnessed the birth of a child with three legs.
When labour met her that day, Maryamu Bala, as all expectant mothers do, expected to be delivered of a normal healthy baby.
After a few hours, the child was delivered in the wee hours of
Friday. It came out like every other child except that, unlike other
children, it had a third limb with complete features of human legs.
It was observed that the baby’s third leg which sprung out at its
waist, has the complete features of human limbs except that it looked
smaller than the two normal legs.
Not surprising however, residents of the community, most of who
confessed to seeing the situation for the first time in their lives,
reportedly thronged into the house of Mallama Maryamu to catch a glimpse
of the baby, which most of them described as one of the wonders of
almighty God.
“We marveled at the sight of another limb and were at first taken
aback but then, we consoled ourselves with our faith in almighty Allah
and the belief that He can do whatever He wishes” Malama Hadiza Galu,
33, a resident of Sabon Garin Kuraye, said.
Although hospital officials had certified both the baby and the
mother to be in “sound health”, residents of the area described the
situation as rare even as some appeared filled with awe as they gazed at
the sight of the baby.
Sale, the child’s
grandfather said “the whole thing is surprising and it is a lesson for
humanity. But as a Muslim, I know there is nothing Allah cannot do and I
think this is one of His countless wonders.”
Malama Maryamu, mother of the baby,said it
was her sixth child and while carrying the pregnancy, she never felt any
abnormalities and so had no inkling at all that the baby would be born
with the rare condition.
“I never felt any different from my previous pregnancies and I had a
very smooth delivery” said Mallama Maryamu , noting that in all of her
twenty eight years, “I have never heard of or seen a child born with
these features.”
“When the child came out with three legs, the first thing I did as a
Muslim was to recite ‘Suratul Fatiha’ and ‘Kalmatul shahada’ after which
I thanked God for the blessing.”
“My prayer since the delivery has been to ask for God’s intervention
so that if it is possible to remove the third leg, let it be removed and
if it is not possible, May Allah bless the child for us and help him
grow up to realise what he has been destined to become in life” she
added.
She was, however quick to appeal to well- meaning citizens and the
local government council to assist the family with needed funds to
embark on surgery.
Although the the Transition Management Chairman of Charanchi Local
government, Alhaji Mustapha Galadima could not be reached, the Vice
chairman, Musa Kalla Bala Kuraye said the council had sent a delegation
to the child’s family and assured of necessary support noting, “we will
foot all the bills incurred at the cause of the surgery and we have
given the parents our word to support them in all ways possible.”
Dr Sabiu Giade is a consultant, Pediatrics and the Chief Medical
Director of Turai Yaradua Maternal and Child Hospital. He told our
correspondent that what is erroneously referred to as ‘third leg’ is ‘
parasitic conjoined twins’ noting, “it is actually supposed to be a set
of conjoined twins but the other part did not develop.”
Source: Leadership
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