The sight of her newborn baby filled her with fear and plunged her into a state of depression.
This is the account of a mother who recently underwent a life-changing experience at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Kumasi, Ashanti Region. Her baby girl, whom we’ll refer to as Baby Adepa, was born with a condition called polymelia, characterized by the presence of multiple limbs.
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Medical professionals believe that Baby Adepa may be an incomplete separation of twins, as she had four legs, two pelvises, and two sets of external genitalia. The mother initially felt frightened and overwhelmed upon seeing her daughter.
Although her maternal instincts prevented her from wishing any harm upon the child, she found herself unable to physically connect with the baby and subsequently fell into a state of depression. “I was so scared of my baby that I couldn’t even hold her like any mother would. I cried almost every day, feeling trapped in a state of depression,” she confided to Beatrice Spio-Garbrah.
For a period of seven months, both mother and baby remained hospitalized at KATH for observation. Dr. Konadu Yeboah, a Senior Specialist in Orthopedic Surgery at Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, described the case as exceptionally rare in humans. “In my field, this is the first instance I have encountered. When the baby was referred to Komfo Anokye, it was an entirely unfamiliar situation for us,” Dr. Yeboah remarked.
Extensive research was conducted to investigate any previous instances of similar cases worldwide, but it was discovered that such occurrences were rare among humans, albeit more common in animals such as pigs and chickens.
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A team of Pediatric and Orthopedic Surgeons dedicated five and a half hours to perform a delicate surgery on Baby Adepa. The operation was a resounding success, bringing immeasurable joy to the mother, who now cradles her baby with newfound delight. She expressed deep gratitude to the doctors for the remarkable transformation they achieved for her daughter.
The mother took the opportunity to encourage other mothers with children facing disabilities to seek medical assistance for them rather than abandoning them. “I am currently overjoyed by the condition of my baby girl, and I want to encourage mothers who give birth to children with deformities to seek medical help for them instead of rejecting them,” she urged.
The surgeons, who embarked on the surgery with low expectations of success, described the outcome as heartwarming. They passionately implored parents not to abandon their babies with deformities at birth, emphasizing the potential for transformative medical interventions.
