Mother of a child living with Spina Bifida, Alphacus Agyei-Addai, has appealed to Non-Governmental Organizations to come to the aid of mothers of children living with Spina Bifida by providing counselling to these mothers.
She was confident that counselling for these mothers will help them cope with this difficult situation.
In the special edition of the Happy Morning Show to mark the World Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus day 2020, Alphacus told Samuel Eshun, “If anyone wants to support the mothers, apart from walkers and some few things, these mothers need counselling which very often mothers dealing with this condition lack. In this case, it’s either you console yourself as a mother or you give up.
I will suggest that NGOs must help mothers with counselling. This is because sometimes the mothers don’t know what to expect. When the doctor speaks to them and you ask them what the doctor said, the mothers seem clueless. Sometimes, they contemplate on leaving the child to die. So even before we talk about finances, mothers should be counselled”.
Sharing her experience of how she copes with the condition of her child, she admitted, “It is not easy but with determination gradually we will get there”.
She further advised mothers to be hopeful that things will get better with their children living with Spina Bifida. “These kids are smart and intelligent. You need to be with them to know their capabilities and abilities. If you have a child like this, I know the stress it comes with but there is light at the end of the tunnel”, she added.
The World Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus Day is to raise awareness and understanding about Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus. On this day, the rights of persons with these conditions are advocated and promoted.
The theme for this year’s celebration is “united in times of COVID-19”.
By: Alberta Dorcas N D Armah