This is my child.
“People around me say I should just leave him…but I can’t. This is my child,”
This Father’s Day, we want to share the special story of Steven and his five month old son, Sanyu.
Sanyu has Hydrocephalus, which has made his first five months on this planet very difficult. Hydrocephalus is a condition which is a build-up of fluid in the head. This condition cause’s babies heads to become very large because their skulls are still soft and haven’t fused together yet. When left untreated, this condition is fatal.
When Sanyu was born, his mother left him and Steven for another man. This man told her that he didn’t want Sanyu because of his disability. So Steven decided to leave everything and take care of his child. He had to leave his job so is therefore now unemployed and is all that Sanyu has in this world.
Most babies like Sanyu don’t get treatment. Instead, this is what typically happens:
1. They are considered a curse, and a “monster.”
2. They get sicker.
3. Their fathers abandon them.
4. They die.
Fathers simply disown the child. They say, ‘My family never had THIS problem – this must not be MY child. I have no responsibility.’ Baby Sanyu is a rarity. It’s his mum who decided she could not live with a “monster.” But, Steven, will not let him go. “People around me say I should just leave him…but I can’t. This is my child,” he said.
Steven brought his Sanyu to CURE Uganda which is a specialist neurosurgical hospital and specialises in treating Hydrocephalus. He has received the surgery that has saved his life!
All of this is possible because of you. If you want to help more children like Nelvin, just go to uk.cure.org or click here. Thank you.
