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| Baby Akinkunmi's dedication |
Early tests revealed azoospermia. My husband’s
doctor friend told him he should have hidden the test result from me as some
wives have been known to run away in similar cases. A nurse advised me that in
Africa, there was no ‘barren’ man and another woman may come later with a
‘manufactured’ baby for my husband so I should go ‘out’ to get a boyfriend that
would impregnate me. When I objected saying I was a Christian, she laughed. So
began our fertility journey. We were not worried though. We felt that as long
as we had God and each other, we would overcome. We determined never to resort
to native doctors, anything fetish or even ‘prophets’ and decided to first try
some natural fertility herbs whose practitioner we had read about in the
newspapers. This brought about a breakthrough but not enough to produce
results. We told no one and confided in no one about our fertility struggles so
it was quite a lonely journey for me who had very few friends. Neither of our
families pressurized us but I pressurized myself as the years passed. Google
became my closest friend and many nights I researched long and hard, often into
the early hours for solution. Occasionally my father-in-law suggested steps and
concoctions which we rejected.
Medically, we tried EVERYTHING. In 2005/2006, our
gynaecologist referred us for Assisted Reproductive Treatment at one of the
best clinics in the country. We sold practically all of our investments to pay
for some treatment cycles but they ended in failure and was a painful and colossal
waste of money.
We joined the Laughter Church early 2007, praying and doing
all the assignments. We were soon after able to see the General Overseer for
prayer. In between we occasionally saw other men of God for prayer and also
went through some more medical treatment. In London in 2008, I was able to see
a famous man of God who I would not otherwise have been able to see back in Nigeria
and he also prayed for us.
In 2010, I lost my dad in traumatic and devastating circumstances
and also painfully lost my first ever pregnancy later that same year.
Meanwhile, we continued to pray and hope, taking all sorts of supplements,
changing to a more natural diet and doing colon cleansing, enemas, hydrotherapy,
needle acupuncture, reflexology , castor oil pack treatments, femoral artery
massages, fertility massages, full body massages, oil pulling, expensive hormone
injections - you name it; anything my research indicated would be helpful. No
chemist or pharmacy no matter the location, was too far or inaccessible in my
frequent search for often scarce supplements. I became a regular at some
laboratories, constantly testing to see whether medications had worked.
Demoralised, I stopped going to one particular lab at Yaba when I was greeted
with, “you again! Go for injection that will shoot it up instead of wasting
time on medications.”(as if it was that easy!).
At a certain point in time I was traveling regularly to
Molipa Estate, Ijebu Ode to purchase imported herbal supplements from a popular
herbal practitioner there because it was a more regular source. Went also for
herbs at the famous Elizabeth Kafaru clinic in Ikeja before she passed on. I
won’t forget also my regular visits to a Catholic church at Maryland, Lagos to
purchase the Pax herbal supplements of the Ewu monks. . There were others, as
long as we were sure it was purely herbal with no spiritual attachment. Can I
also forget several months of treatment (including rushing from my brother’s wedding
for ovulation tracking at the clinic) with another natural health practitioner ,
who was also a pastor at Canaan land?
I recall too, going in search of an advertiser that promised
his patients would get pregnant within one month; needless to say, his
treatment did not work. There were a few others over the years that I cannot
readily remember. Can I forget going all out to purchase a particular
advertised supplement that promised results? Or the Mushin pharmacy that dealt
in wholesale imported supplements?
Meanwhile, the years were passing but I was not anxious because
I fully trusted my partner and he could see the lengths I was going to find a
solution. One thing that helped me during those long years was having a
positive attitude and refusing to wear a long face anywhere. Whenever friends
or relations cared to invite us for their child dedication or naming
ceremonies, we went cheerfully to celebrate with them but one incident stands
out; one day, my husband and I decided to visit some friends we had not seen
for some time. Our surprise can only be imagined when we got to their house only
for us to meet them hosting a naming ceremony for their new baby! Theirs was a
prime example of the belief that we would not be happy for them because we were
childless so we were kept in the dark about the birth and naming despite being
‘friends.’
2016 was finally our Year of Jubilee with the conception of
our precious daughter. I registered at two different hospitals (one government
and the other private) and was doing antenatal at those clinics simultaneously.
We decided that despite the very harsh economic climate, we were taking no
health chances and would birth the baby in the USA. God miraculously supplied
our needs and gave us favour everywhere. It was favour at the US embassy where
we were speedily given medical visas and favour at the Dallas POE with the
friendly officers when I arrived there in my 35th week of pregnancy and
favour again with my high risk obgyn in El Paso who assessed and allowed me to
have a normal vaginal delivery despite the very precious nature of my pregnancy
and my advanced age! Akinkunmi came on the 7th of December at 1.17 am [my dad would have been chuffed as he loved the number 7 and had even written a book about it ] I give God all the
glory.
