TRIPLETS AFTER 12 YEARS OF BARRENESS

 

The Ladeindes

Mrs Temidola Ladeinde and her husband, Olukayode, who welcomed a set of triplets after 12 years of being married without a child, in this interview narrates her struggles and triumph:

What is your name and occupation?

I am Temidola Ladeinde, fondly called EMATS by friends, and I’m a certified HR specialist. I love my job with passion.

For how long have you been married?

We got married in May 2009 – it’s been 12 years, seven months.

You have a unique story. You gave birth to a set of triplets after 12 years of being married. How exactly does this make you feel?

Like pinch me for real… I feel elated, grateful and privileged. Three beautiful goody bags in one shop, it’s amazing!

Did you at any point give up the hope that you will ever have your own babies?

Hmnnn… This is a tricky question. I won’t say I was strong throughout the journey; no. There were different emotions of faith and expectations but there were also moments of despair, helplessness and feeling overwhelmed. There were days of unhindered happiness and there were days of uncontrollable tears. But there was no month that I didn’t feel disappointed. I had reasons to give up but I never stopped hoping.

Delay in childbearing can put a couple under pressure from society. How exactly did you and your husband deal with that?

Sincerely, it wasn’t easy. First off, my husband shielded me a lot from societal pressure. There were outings and gatherings that we didn’t attend because I didn’t feel like it. There was even an occasion that we drove back home because I became hysterical on the way to the event. We talk and discuss a lot. We talk about everything and anything freely. We make excuses for people and we knew when to withdraw from any particular relationship. Nobody was more important than either of us to the extent of making us unhappy because of children. However, neither of us ever told the other, “I didn’t marry you because of children.” No, not once. We both love children and both of us always wanted to have our children.

Sincerely, it wasn’t easy. First off, my husband shielded me a lot from societal pressure. There were outings and gatherings that we didn’t attend because I didn’t feel like it. There was even an occasion that we drove back home because I became hysterical on the way to the event. We talk and discuss a lot. We talk about everything and anything freely. We make excuses for people and we knew when to withdraw from any particular relationship. Nobody was more important than either of us to the extent of making us unhappy because of children. However, neither of us ever told the other, “I didn’t marry you because of children.” No, not once. We both love children and both of us always wanted to have our children.

We remained resolute  in our desire for children all through the years. We got tired but we didn’t stop trying.

There are plenty stories of couples who broke up over delay in childbearing. What kept your family going?

We have two common grounds: Friendship and God. We maintained our friendship in marriage. We respected our individual boundaries. We kept growing and developing in areas where we could. We both have unique relationship with God as individuals, as a couple and as a family.

At what point after your marriage did you begin to feel concerned about not getting pregnant?

Very early. I started seeking medical answers barely six months into our marriage. Based on observations, I just believe that it doesn’t take so much time to get impregnated. Also because of our status as Christians, we practised abstinence from sex during our courtship and were looking forward to being rewarded with pregnancy as soon as possible. So, for me, that we didn’t achieve a pregnancy within three months, it was concerning and we should seek help soon enough.

What kind of solutions did you seek and what were the outcomes?

We did all that is permissible by God and in line with our faith. We sought medical help from the simplest to the advanced (ovulation tracking, IUI and IVF). We went through both invasive and non-invasive treatments, including fibroid surgery. We consulted multiple doctors at different times in private and public practices. Initially, all indicators pointed at “unexplainable primary infertility” for many years. But as I kept growing older, few medical conditions started coming up: fibroid, endometriosis, low AMH, hormonal imbalance. Hmnnnn, it was a tough and rough journey. So much efforts, no single pregnancy.  I’m not kidding, our triplets was my first and only pregnancy! God is awesome.

Did anyone at any point advise you to adopt a child?

Yes, I was advised to consider an adoption. I also attended some seminars where legal adoption was discussed extensively and encouraged as a viable option.  And, of course, I gave it a try. I even started the process. I met good people who connected me with relevant departments in both Ogun and Oyo states. I got my husband’s consent to submit applications to both and I was ready to file for adoption at the two states’ ministries with the hope that one of them would be successful.  Graciously, we were confirmed pregnant seven months after we considered taking the steps.

I have come to believe in legal adoption and I do not see it as meaning loss of faith nor of giving up on oneself.

What was the strangest advice that you received?

Interesting, it was someone telling me about how virile he is with impregnating women. I had just joined a new organisation and one of the employees that I met there (a non-Nigerian) unsuspectingly asked me of my marital status and subsequently boasted of how good his record is. He said to me: “If I were your husband, you would have been pregnant by now.” And on and on he went, telling me of his “fathering capability.”

In the course of your pregnancy did you have scans to know you were expecting three babies?

Of course, I did and it was three. Though, the doctor said we should do another to be sure they are not more than three. I responded by telling him, impossible! The second scan confirmed three.

Did knowing that you were expecting three babies at once put you under pressure?

It depends on what you mean by pressure. I was advised to stop working by our treating OB-GYN – including getting a second opinion to be on complete bed rest. For a career-oriented professional, that was huge. Even remote working was advised against. On a lighter note, it would have been expected that I should be eating for four people (including me), but the bigger the uterus the smaller the stomach felt.

You gave birth to your babies abroad. What informed that decision?

Well, we were advised to ensure that we sought quality medical services.  It wasn’t easy. We didn’t have all the financial resources but supports came. It turned out to be a wise decision.

Things changed so fast, and the medical team sprung into emergency action. There were more than 15 specialists (including top consultants and heads of departments) in the theatre. They didn’t know me; it wasn’t based on connections and before making any financial deposits, our triplets were delivered and I’m awed at the goodness of God and impressed by the quality of professional services that we received. It was classified a high-risk pregnancy and one of the doctors named me “miracle mummy.”

What will you say to couples who are experiencing delay in childbearing?

When God is set, everything aligns. On this journey, seek medical help and by all means work with a fertility coach. While expecting, keep your marriage and don’t stop developing.

First baby at 54 - no drugs or treatment

 

FIRST BABY AT AGE 54 – WITHOUT AID OF ANY DRUGS OR MEDICAL TREATMENT/INTERVENTION

Our God is indeed a marvelous God! Marvelous indeed is the case of Mrs. Arin who conceived and gave birth to a healthy baby boy at an age when many had written her off. By age 54, she had already stopped all fertility treatment and had entered what she thought was menopause. Early in 2017, she was treating herself for malaria at the onset of symptoms until tests showed about 3 months later that she was pregnant! Here is her story.

I got married in 2001 aged almost 40 and was looking forward to quickly having a family especially as doctors had warned me that any pregnancy I had would have to be with bedrest for the whole of the 9 months due to a near fatal accident in 1995. However things did not turn out as hoped. In 2002 on my way to work, I lost my first pregnancy at 5 months. Since then, it became impossible to conceive again. It was from one hospital to the other, medications of all kinds, both herbal and orthodox. I was told I had several fibroids preventing conception and sometimes I would be diagnosed with cysts. At other times my husband would be diagnosed with low count.

 In January 2017, I had some very light spotting and that was it. I started feeling sick and feverish and was treating myself for malaria and taking all kinds of antibiotics. You can imagine our joy when tests revealed that I had conceived! Unfortunately however, scans revealed that the foetus was not growing and I was advised to flush it out. My cousin’s wife encouraged me not to do so and instead I changed hospital where I was managed and was on bed rest till the 9^th month.  To the glory of God, in September 2017, I had a baby boy, who though very small was strong and healthy and came out in the third push in a normal delivery.

I must add that throughout our years of waiting, my in-laws were very supportive, and my mother-in-law, a lovely woman of God, was always encouraging me. She was even urging us to go for adoption and sent relatives to try to persuade me. I thus really wished that she lived long enough to see me become a mother but she had passed on by the time it happened. We thank for His mercies and faithfulness towards us.

A MOTHER AT LAST AFTER 23 YEARS OF MARRIAGE: Yemi’s story

Baby Akinkunmi's dedication

What can I say? All I can do is to be thankful for God’s mercy. As I write, my little baby is fast asleep beside me; I am a mother after 23 years of marriage but we never envisioned such a long wait. Before our marriage, my husband and I had mapped and planned out our lives: we would start a family after 5 years when all additional and higher education was completed and we were financially stable. However when we were ready about 5 years into our marriage, life had other plans for us… no pregnancy was forthcoming.

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 35^th 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.

I cried to God for many years to give me at least a child — Woman delivered of triplets

The Dillis

Mrs. Hope Lumsambani Dilli was recently delivered of triplets. She tells her story in an interview:

How long have you been married?

I have been married for 24 years.

How did you cope during the period of waiting to have children?

I suffered abuse and mockery. But with God, all things are possible. In my case, it’s not that God denied me the fruit of the womb. I got married on March 27, 1993. By April of that same year, I took in. In 1994, when it got to the time of delivery, I lost the pregnancy to a miscarriage. I suffered many miscarriages ever since.

How many miscarriages did you experience?

I had three miscarriages after the delivery of the first baby who did not survive at birth. I had two other miscarriages that occurred at five months of pregnancy and another which occurred at three months while I was pregnant.

What have you been doing?

Since the last 10 years, I did not take in. During this period, my husband and I continued in prayers, trusting that God would intervene. Our hope during the trying period has always been God.  At last, nothing is impossible with God.

What were the challenges you faced?

We had issues with my husband’s friends, friends, family and others. I cried at nights, calling on God to help me and wipe away my shame. I believed in His word and understood that delay is not denial. My husband also thought the same way as we both put our confidence in God. I have not wished them death but I have prayed for them to instead be alive to see what God can do.

Did you know you were pregnant with triplets?

No. It’s a great compensation for our long years of delay, for 24 years? I believe God has given us double for all our troubles.

How did you react when you got the result of the scan?

When I did the scan, they called my husband and told him I was pregnant with triplets. This is because my eyes could not believe what I saw. I began to feel somehow. It was with disbelief. For these marital blessings, what do I give God? Thanking God can never quantify the depth of my gratitude.  I don’t know how to appreciate Him for this gift.

What other challenges did you face while pregnant?

It was not easy. The devil wanted to create unhappiness in me by bringing up thoughts of my past failed pregnancies. I kept thinking, during the delivery, that something would go wrong. But I quickly rebuked the evil thoughts. I kept saying, “No, God, this time is my time. God you are going to do something this time round. I must carry my own children.”  I was delivered of the triplets at the Federal Medical Centre, Yola, the Adamawa State capital.

Did you lose hope at any time during the period?

Yes, there were times I was overwhelmed with worries. As a human being, sometimes, you can lose hope. There were many challenges which made me lose hope. The miscarriages and worries compounded my dilemma.

As I grow older, I became forlorn at some point. Like I said, sometimes, I found comfort in the scriptures and at other times, I was traumatised. I often entertained the thoughts that if the children from my previous pregnancies had survived, perhaps I won’t be in this condition. It was a mixture of depression and hope.

When I attended church conferences, and the preacher admonished believers not to lose hope but to have faith in God, I remembered my name which is Hope. I usually prayed, telling God to answer me based on my name though sometimes I thought of giving up.

You said you feared you were getting older. At what age did you give birth?

I am 44.

What memorable incident can you recall while waiting to give birth?

Weeping is the most memorable of them, especially when I heard somebody said, ‘Look at this barren woman’. If I didn’t weep after the mockery, I did so when I got home. I would sit down most times and cry to God that if there’s any sin that I had committed, that is responsible for my condition, He should please forgive me and bless me with children.

I said to him (God), “If it is only one child you can give me, I will appreciate it. I know that if I have just one child, no one would call me a barren woman again. It is far better.”  I knew that my husband heard unprintable statements against me by outsiders. Sometimes, we discussed the issue. I usually asked him to tell me some of the incidents. He asked me not to trouble myself, that God would do it for us. What has sustained my faith throughout this adversity was my husband’s support.

Were there times you contemplated visiting traditionalists?

Of course, that was until recently, because we didn’t know Christ then. We had to move from place to place seeking solutions. We did all that.

Did you get medical help or was it natural?

It is just God and nothing else. It is the doing of the Lord.

Were there times your husband came under any pressure from his family to take another wife to have a child?

No, even though he’s a man. Three months ago, someone called me to inform me that she heard that my husband wanted to take another wife. I told her, “It is well. If that is his wish, I don’t know anything about that one.’’

But I knew within me that her tale was not true. I wasn’t bothered. I told the woman I was not aware of such plans. This is because my husband never expressed such a desire.  In fact, he used to console me, saying, “Either you have a child or not, God is the giver of children. We should not disturb ourselves too much. It is God who is going to give you that gift and not man. So, forget about worrying.”

Couples are usually tempted to blame their partners as responsible for situations such as the one you had.  Did you experience same?

We had that experience. We felt each of us should go for medical examination. But that was a long time ago. We were told there was nothing wrong with both of us. Once we heard that, we just forgot about that aspect.

What is your advice to women waiting for some time to have children after marriage?

I encourage women who are passing through what I experienced to wait on God and not be troubled.  They should hold on to the word of God, because delay is not denial. One day, God would do it for them as He did it for me. I know that God is faithful and he will do what He’s promised to do to anybody. That’s my piece of advice to all women who are waiting on God for the fruit of the womb.

Source: the Punch newspapers

Quintuplets for Calabar couple married for ten years

The Edet Quintuplets

Early in the year 2017, it was joy and rejoicing for this blessed couple. They were blessed with quintuplets comprising three girls and two boys after waiting for ten years for the fruit of the womb.

The Quintuplets were delivered at the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Cross River State and it the first time the UCTH, and Cross River State as a whole is witnessing such a miracle.

The proud father of the quintuplets, Dr. Ekpo Edet, could not hold back his joy and excitement as he could be seen beaming with smiles. Dr Edet said “I want to thank God almighty, He’s a faithful God. The first time in the history of Cross River State, the first time in the history of UCTH. Five at a go! God has been just been faithful as we have concluded the first phase and the doctors have confirmed that the babies are kicking. We are entering into the second phase and I know it’s not going to be easy but I solicit for support from all well-meaning Nigerians, all my friends and well-wishers

Speaking upon meeting the parents of the quintuplets, Dr Linda Ayade, the wife of the governor expressed her delight as this was another first in the State’s history. She said it’s a sign of good tidings in the state and country at large. She thanked the new mother for opting for professional services of birth attendants. Her Excellency after showering the babies with prayers further made a donation of one million naira to the celebrating couple and another five hundred thousand naira to the medical experts who made sure the babies were delivered successfully.

 

1st baby for 59-year old after 30 years of marriage at St. Ives IVF Unit

Baby Abodunde

'God is a faithful & covenant keeping father; we appreciate your loving kindness towards us.' Pst. & Dcns. Abodunde E.S

 

 

 

FERTILITY MASSAGE CASTOR OIL PACKAGE IN LAGOS (limited time offer)

Click green link below for package details

http://www.dealdey.com/deals/fertility-massage-castor-oil-package

Twins for Akwa Ibom couple, after 20-year wait!

It was rapturous clapping that erupted in church as Usendu Etim and Regina Bassey carried forward their twin babies for dedication on Valentine’s day of 2016.

The Basseys with their babies

 

Married since November 1995, Etim Bassey sharedtheir baby testimony and tried to summarise their 20-year old battle to become parents. READ MORE AT:

http://mymiraclebabystory.blogspot.com.ng/2016/02/twins-for-akwa-ibom-couple-after-20.html

 

HELPFUL READING

EXCERPT FROM BOOK 1:
...We simply have to understand that we can’t box God! His ways are not our ways. You would imagine that a Pastor’s wife would conceive miraculously without medical intervention. Yet I know of Pastor’s wives who have conceived through IVF. Is that then no longer a miracle? Of course, it is! God will work out his blessings in the way and manner that He chooses. That is not for us to determine. Our responsibility is to praise His name and testify to His goodness when the breakthrough comes. Whatever you decide to do, do in faith…

AITY DENNIS' BABY TESTIMONY IN GEM MAGAZINE

 http://gemmagazines.net/gemwoman/gemwomangemman-magazine-releases-inspirational-christmas-edition-featuring-aity-dennis-and-muyiwa-olarewaju/

 

GEMWOMAN Magazine has released its most inspirational edition as the perfect companion this Christmas. The edition features Gospel Artiste Aity Dennis on its cover with a remarkable story to lift the heart of anyone facing seemingly overwhelming odds.

If you’ve ever been confronted by an insurmountable ‘mountain’- situations that seem not to go away, regardless of how long and hard you’ve hoped, prayed, praised, waited, trusted and exercised faith; then maybe you’ve walked a mile in Aity Dennis shoes.

Pastor Aity Dennis’ story is a remarkable one that would leave you in awe of the faithfulness of God, for He alone could have done this – the miraculous conception and delivery of a healthy set of twins four years after menopause and after over 20 years of waiting.

This is not just an interview, but a testament to the faithfulness of God – His ability to turn impossibility to possibility, His miracle-working power able to overturn, restore and replenish! And it is brought to you at such a time as this to reignite the embers of faith within you, to inspire you to hope again and release your expectations to receive the fulfilment of the unfailing promise of God.

Be inspired by this testimony, and dare to believe for yours!

 

 

GOSPEL SINGER AITY DENNIS WELCOMES TWIN BABIES AFTER 20 YEARS OF WAITING

Aity with husband & twins

Award winning gospel singer, Aity Dennis who has been singing songs of praise has more reasons now than ever to continue to do so.

The 49-year-old lady a few months ago welcomed her twin babies after over 20 years of waiting for the fruit of the womb.

In an interview, the singer said she had almost lost hope of having a child and didn’t even believe the doctor when she was told she was pregnant.

“I just felt the doctor didn’t know what he was saying and of course, I didn’t believe him. I went about doing what I was always doing. I would still go to the studio, sing and shoot my videos,” she said.

 But Aity said she noticed she was always sleeping and getting tired easily but she still couldn’t relate her weakness and tiredness to being pregnant.

“I thought age had caught up with me. I kept wondering how I would be sleeping in the afternoon when I am not an ajebutter. But I kept getting bigger and bigger. It finally hit me that the doctor may have been saying the truth. It was even in my sixth month that I realised I could be really pregnant,” she said.

Now blessed with a baby girl and boy, Aity said God has been faithful to her and nothing would stop her from praising Him especially when she thought she had passed the child bearing age.

“God eventually remembered me. I would always pray for pregnant women for safe delivery. I would always ask God if He didn’t have a baby for me. Now he has blessed me with not just one, but two! And He even gave me the two sexes,” she said.

 

The Hannaniya's search for a child

LOOKING for a child has been a most harrowing challenge for a great number of men and women. The Bible has the agonising story of a woman regarded as mental because of her continuous wailing as she sought a child.

God, at last, took pity on Hannah and gave her a child after the intervention of Prophet Eli. That was how she became the mother of Samuel, an epic giant in the history of the Jews.

Henry the VIII of England, in his search for a male heir, had beheaded six Queens yet he died without a son and was succeeded by Queen Elizabeth the 1st. Henry VIII succeeded in changing the history of Europe with his quest for a male heir when six of his marriages simultaneously failed to produce his most desired son as an heir.

In the end, Henry VIII took England out of the Roman Catholic Church and established the Anglican Church in what became known as the English Reformation.

Single professional women have had no bar to their adoption of children. They may have done so in cases where childbirths have been difficult; when however, adoption has occurred, sometimes successful pregnancies ensued. So far there has been no stigma involved in adopted children; if there is; the evidence is small, although I can imagine needling comments of the kind of women that Mama Gee portrays in Nollywood.

In some societies, women marry younger girls for their husbands for all sorts of reasons. Our upper and middle class women almost invariably have children, who in every other way except legally, had been adopted.

It is not always a happy experience but then which marriage is always happy experience? There is the occasional friction when the woman dies without a will because her relatives may make claims or fight to take all the material possessions of the dead, thereby cutting the adopted child or children out of their lawful inheritance.

My mother, on the other hand, had several adopted children, who remain my siblings till date. Dr. Gladys Duruyani and Dr. Ishmael Hannaniya were married for 20 years and just like any other couple, they tried to have children.

However, unlike others, it took them several years to conceive and despite the challenge with conception and their expectations, all the pregnancies unfortunately ended in miscarriages.

This was a very grieving deal for them because the babies would grow to about five or six months in the womb and then a miscarriage would occur and some of these miscarriages were for multiple babies.

The enlightened couple utilized their globe-trotting exposure to seek medical solution overseas, all to no avail. Eventually as time progressed, Duruyani became ill and was diagnosed severally with various kinds of ailments.

She developed a type of cough the doctors could not understand and on the film some dark spots were seen in her chest region and lungs. Being devoted Christians, they sought medical solution to all the challenges yet committed them all to the Lord as they expected some miracle.

Eventually the Lord took this strange ailment away from her. Their challenges were numerous, and one day, while they dined at a Chinese restaurant in Abuja, Duruyani began to bleed.

She knew what was happening. Her husband, who is a microbiologist, a specialist neuro-physician, also rushed her to three different hospitals. Unfortunately, in each hospital, the senior doctors had all gone home.

After the third stop, he rushed her to the National Teaching Hospital where he found out again that all the senior doctors had also closed for the day.

At this point of desperation, he had to take the bull by the horn, choosing to go against the ethics of his profession that advise against a man performing such a major surgery on his spouse. He had a vague idea of what to do, besides there were some junior doctors around.

With the few junior doctors on duty, they quickly set up the theatre and began the surgery to take out the blood clot that was about to snuff life out of his beloved wife until an experienced doctor who came around the hospital for an entirely different reason heard of the situation and ran to take over the surgery already in progression.

On another day, she felt ill and in the cause of seeking a medical solution in South Africa, they were told that the blood result was bad news. The South African doctors gave the verdict; they were shaken and took the challenge once more to the Lord in prayers.

They said, “it was a rare form of blood disease.” The couple were shocked and torn apart for a while but braced up, rejecting the doctor’s report and holding unto the Lord’s report.

They sought medical solution in the UK afterwards and the doctors became puzzled and asked “who said she had a blood disease, a rare form of blood cancer? To the glory of God, the results of the latter test showed there was no trace of the cancer.

Did a miracle take place? They rejoiced and praised the Lord. Soon after this great news, they got a call from the South African doctors stating that there was a mix-up with her tests.

They investigated further and confirmed that she did not have any form of cancer in her system. Having gone through so much and having wailed on the Lord in the secret place of the Lord, they remained sober and thankful for once more sparing her life from the clutch of death.

After a while, they tried to have children again but it was to no avail as the series of miscarriages continued. Eventually they figured that since her womb could not keep the pregnancies, they would consider the option of surrogacy.

Their Harley Street doctor who is one of the first doctors in the world to successfully deliver in-vitro (IVF) babies had been very sympathetic to their cause and after series of the failed IVF had suggested surrogacy to them.

They began the necessary procedures and as embryos could be stored for years, they decided to store the excess embryos while they sought for a surrogate mother to carry their child.

Unfortunately, the surrogacy laws in Britain were so strict that it would have been impossible to find a mother to carry the child. The doctor who was natively Greek suggested that they find a surrogate in Greece.

They quickly embraced the idea but it was soon forgotten because there was a serious problem with the transportation of the embryos out of the region. When that failed, they tried to transport the embryos to Nigeria but the results were the same as that of Greece. It seemed like they would never be able to have their own children so they opted for adoption.

They adopted a little boy now six years old and they later adopted a girl who is now aged four. Duruyani’s body had gone through so much strain over these years and age was not on her side as she was classified as High Risk Pregnancy (if she took in).

On two occasions she had been diagnosed with a strange form of cancer, and later lymphoma, she had suffered a hemorrhage, suffered from a strange cough which left dark patches on her lungs, she had suffered emotional, physical and psychological trauma at the travails she had gone through amongst other health challenges too numerous to mention. She had also been on total bed rest all through these series of pregnancies that resulted in miscarriages.

Yet from all these, the Good Lord delivered her from the cold hands of death. Her husband, Hannaniya, who is a rare Igbira man from Kogi State and a distinguished gentleman remained a most loving husband to her, an Igbomina from Kwara State and kept all their travails away from family and friends.

THEY loved and doted on their two adopted children and once more wondered if it was necessary to have more children having gone through so much agony in their quest for their own biological children.

The Lord understood the desires of their heart and decided to seal their faith with a remarkable gift to them in the year 2014. They got a call from their doctor in Harley Street that the Law had lifted the storage limit of the human eggs/embryo which negated the earlier law of five years. Perhaps because they were silently thinking once more of their unborn children, they became expectant as a result of the serendipity they experienced.

Once more at this point in time, her embryos were still available and having tried all to no avail, including the suggestion of surrogacy that could not hold for statutory reasons, their deciding to try once more was not out of place.

This time they asked for the frozen embryos to be sent to Nigeria and this became the appointed time for them, as they were able to transport these embryos and implant them in Lagos, Nigeria.

Twenty-nine weeks after the implantation of the embryo, Dr. Hannaniya, while at work, got a call from the surgeon that his twin baby girls had been delivered weighing 0.9kg and 1kg respectively. He could not believe his ears and questioned the time and date of delivery to which the surgeon responded that it was either they were saved at that point in time or they were lost like all the others gone.

Dr. Hannaniya, knowing what everybody in this country and beyond knew which was that the babies had a slim chance of survival in a country like Nigeria, did not get excited. He did not worry either but chose as usual to leave this one more challenge to God.

For the first time their babies had been delivered alive so it was clear that the Lord had given them the miracle of an identical twin birth but with the incessant power outages and the inadequate medical care especially for neonates in the incubators, what would be the fate of these little ones? As usual and with wisdom, he chose to keep the news away from family and friends for he did not want to get excited over his preterm babies. They willingly submitted the case to the Lord and waited for time to celebrate if it was the will of God for them.

As God gave his approval, both babies survived and were christened Grace and Esther on Sunday, 22nd March 2015 at the time of their expected date of delivery.

The other two children who had been adopted were also christened on the same day aged six and four. There was a lovely celebration of the two healthy babies and their older adopted siblings afterwards at the beautiful event organized by the family in the Federal Capital Territory of Abuja. Their phenomenal testimony was shared by the husband himself and all those present were amazed as Dr. Hannaniya shared this incredible testimony of over 90 minutes while their guests were entertained with food and drinks.

Their parents, siblings, relations, friends, colleagues and well-wishers were speechless and moved to tears of joy for the Grace of God on his beloved children, Duruyani and Hannaniya, as they finally found complete joy in their now family of six.

There were great lessons to learn from the power of prayers and the power in sealed lips for they did not give room to any interference or sympathy from family and friends.

They had toured the world in search of children of their own, they had spent money over the years, the Lord continued to provide for them and eventually when they least expected it, the Lord showed them that something good could still come out of their own country, Nigeria, and this was the serendipity of our Lord, the perfection of science, their dogged hope and above all, the abundant blessings of the Great God they serve.