…warns couples after daughter suffers crisis
A Nigerian father has recounted how his daughter is battling sickle cell disease, blaming what he described as his ‘foolish mistake’ on his religious beliefs.
In the viral video, the father showed his daughter crying in pain as he tried to comfort her during the crisis.
The video showed the young girl lying under a white bedsheet and crying as she complained about pain in her leg.
The father could be heard comforting her before carrying her on his shoulder and walking around the room.
Explaining what happened, he said: “My daughter was having a crisis because she’s a sickle cell.”
He added that being physically present during the episode made him understand what his daughter and her mother had been experiencing.
ALSO READ: 4 ways to support a partner or friend living with sickle cell
“I’ve been watching it on video every time they go to the hospital,” he said. “But now I’m having a physical experience. It’s not something that anybody should experience.”
The father blamed his decision on his strong religious beliefs, saying he and his wife knew they were both AS before marriage.
“Why is she a sickle cell patient? Because of my mistake, foolish mistake. Foolish mistake that religion made me do,” he said.
According to him, he and his wife dated for three years without having sex or even kissing because of their religious convictions.
“I dated for complete three years, no kissing, not even kissing,” he said.
“When we got married after that three years, she was still a virgin.”
The man said that despite knowing their genotype status, he believed his faith would prevent them from having a child with sickle cell disease.
“Even though when we discovered that we are both AS, I felt that I’m so faithful to God, that God will not allow me to give birth to a child who is a sickle cell,” he said.
The man said he prayed and fasted, believing that his faith would change the outcome despite knowing their genotype status.
However, he said his daughter’s condition had made him realise that he had ignored scientific and biological realities.
He described his decision as “foolishness”, saying that he, his daughter and her mother were now dealing with the consequences.
He added: “Because I was so faithful, so God will because of that. And I prayed, I fasted, I said God will not allow me.”
Reflecting on his experience, the father said he no longer viewed what happened as a failure by God to answer his prayers.
“It is not that, oh, God have refused to answer me, no. It was foolishness,” he said.
He added: “You see reality, and you’re saying you’re having faith, you’re believing. It was foolishness.”
According to him, the consequences have affected the entire family.
“Now I’m paying for it, the child is paying for it, her mom is paying for it,” he said.
The father urged couples not to ignore scientific and biological realities when making decisions about marriage and childbirth.
“Prayer cannot solve you if you open your eyes and go and make a mistake that reality have always already shown you that this is science, this is biology.
“Don’t do it,” he said.