Genotype
Father demands genotype explanation – Oyo hospital. Adediji Moses, a 34-year-old father of three who took to social media to protest the alleged swap of his biological child at birth at the Ladoke Akintola University Teaching Hospital in Ogbomosho, Oyo State, after tests revealed that the child given to his wife after delivery had the SS genotype, tells FATTEH HAMID how the issue has affected his family.
You recently expressed concern on social media about the possibility of your child being swapped at birth at the Ladoke Akintola University Teaching Hospital in Ogbomosho. Could you describe what happened?
My name is Adediji Moses, I’m 34 years old, from Ogbomosho, married with three children. Esther Adediji, the child I believe was exchanged at birth, is my daughter.
It occurred in 2018. On November 15, my daughter was born. We had no idea my wife was ready to have a child until she gave birth. She complained about not feeling well, so we decided to take her to the hospital for a checkup. When we arrived to the hospital late at night, the medical professionals were on strike, and we only encountered a nurse. She said she couldn’t help her and directed us to Ladoke Akintola University Teaching Hospital in Ogbomosho, Oyo State. They responded to us when we arrived at midnight, and my wife had a baby. My grandmother, who had accompanied us to the hospital, advised me to go to bed because she was with us. We were warned after the birth that my kid had jaundice and something in her brain and that she would be dull if not treated.
What did the medical personnel who treated your wife advise you to do?
Having said that, we were requested to return to the hospital and spent up to a month there. My wife and I were already in Lagos, where we work, when my daughter became unwell in 2021. My grandma took her to the hospital for treatment, which prompted us to take a genotyping test. When I found out she had sickle cell illness. I stated it couldn’t be done because my genotype is SC and my wife’s is AA. Later, I took all of my children to Ogbomosho for a series of testing. Despite all of the testing, she (my kid) was always classified as SS and This became a problem for me. How is this even possible? We were also invited as a family, and we all had our tests done, with the same findings. We also went to the Sickle Cell Foundation in Lagos and obtained the same test results. This last admission was two weeks ago when she became seriously ill which frustrated me so much that despite not being financially strong, despite finding it very difficult to feed myself and my family, I have a child whose care is taking from me almost everything I work for.
What was your course of action?
After this thinking, I returned to the LAUTECH teaching hospital and protested, and after much back and forth and not believing my words, I was ordered to bring my child and wife, adding that they could only confirm my claims by doing a test. They assigned us a date, and my wife and child were there. They took samples from us, and the results were identical. That’s why I went public with my plea for Nigerians to come to my rescue. I went to no fewer than five hospitals to get a genotyping test performed, and we kept getting the same results. They took samples from us, and the results were identical. That’s why I went public with my plea for Nigerians to come to my rescue. I went to no fewer than five hospitals to have a genotyping test performed, and the results were consistent, not only for my child but also for me and my wife. My other children received genetic tests, and the results proved that all have AS.
What was the attitude of the doctors in charge when you had a fresh test performed for your daughter at LAUTECH Teaching Hospital?
They were speechless as the findings were announced. They were all looking at each other, knowing it wasn’t meant to be. The guy in charge was perambulating that day before giving me the result. I saw that they were squirming and that they appeared to be hiding something. How inquired whether such an outcome was possible, but they were unable to respond.When the physicians saw it, they told me they will contact me. They were nasty to me after the test results were revealed. When I went to pick up the test results, they snatched them from me and stated they would review it with the chief medical director. The next day, when I arrived to obtain the result, most likely to photograph it for record purposes, the man in charge escorted me out of his office, alleging that there was not time for me to be attended to, despite the fact that I had waited a long time to see him. After a bit, he emerged and began walking away, and when I looked up, he was gone.
When was the video made?
I made the video the same day, just before leaving for the hospital, but it had already gone viral by the time I arrived. I left the hospital when I noticed he wasn’t paying attention to me.
Can you recall the doctors or nurses who assisted with your child’s delivery?
No, I don’t recall who was on duty that day, but there was someone I knew who was a ward orderly. She had a child at one of the schools where I used to teach. That was the only person I could think of.
Were you present during the child’s birth?
I drove my wife to the hospital, but I wasn’t in the delivery room when she gave birth. I was standing outside. With what I’ve seen thus far and the information I have, what is definite is that my child was exchanged at birth; that is what it signifies. I can’t say how much money I’ve spent on the child since it’s so large. However, she has taken practically everything I have worked for in the last two years.
I can’t even begin to calculate it, but it hasn’t been easy for me. I (Father) was irritated by the possibility that my child had been switched at birth. I’m still frustrated from running up and down the stairs for her care. This is what I had been trying to avoid before getting married. I(Father) did not want to marry a woman who did not have the AA genotype. We’ve all been taught which genotypes are compatible and which are not. When it came to getting married, I did my research.
What do you expect the hospital’s administration to do to fix the problem?
What I want them to do is look into what happened and how I got a daughter with the SS genotype when my wife and I (Father) both have the AA and SC genotypes. I also want them to find out who was in control on the night my wife gave birth and who was in charge of switching my baby. I also urge the Oyo State Government to get involved because the hospital is owned by the state. I’d (Father) like them to assist me as well. They should ensure that the investigation is completed as soon as possible to determine who was responsible for switching my child.
Do you want the sick kid to be returned to her original mother and yours to be returned to you if your claim is proven to be true?
She is a child I adore, and she adores me in return. It’s not that I want to return the child or anything; rather, I want her to be properly cared for. However, if they find out where my original child is, it will be nice for me to know where the child is and I will be able to rest. I implore the government to help me since having two sickle cell patients in a family is difficult; despite being a sickle cell sufferer myself, as the husband of a sickle cell patient,as the husband of the house, I have to also provide for the family. So, it has not been easy for me.
Yes, I would like them to locate my biological child. I’m not suggesting they should give me the child because if I’m ordered to take my biological child and return the sick child I have with me, it will have a psychological impact on the two children because they have already grown up and acclimated to some parents. It can have an impact on youngsters who have no knowledge of the crime. They are innocent and should not be subjected to this mental and psychological strain. I don’t want to return the baby; I simply want to be assisted in caring for her and to find out who perpetrated such a heinous act so that it does not happen again.
What actions do you believe should be done against those found guilty?
I don’t want the doctors’ licenses revoked or found unfit to practice since that would be a severe penalty. That is something I do not want to happen to anyone because we all offend God and He forgives us. So, as humans, who are we to offend God? They must also feed their children and family. What will their family eat if their licenses are revoked? Yes, they should be penalized, but taking away their licenses would be excessive. The only thing I care about now is finding out where my biological child is and preventing the crime from happening again.
I(Father) need help to take care of her. I(Father) do not have the financial capacity to take care of her. I also appreciate those who have shown support so far and I (Father)hope that a solution will be gotten as soon as possible. I strongly believe that God has a plan and that is why this has happened to me, but I (Father) want to know those who orchestrated this evil against my family by swapping my biological child at birth.
What do you desire right now?
To be honest, I(Father) don’t want to pursue any lawsuit, especially after what happened to me. The only thing I want is to be able to provide for my family and assist them while also insuring their health. My wife and I (Father) are unemployed, and I rely solely on okada to make ends meet. If they assist me, I will be able to provide for my family without having to worry about my daughter’s health. My parents also looked after me, which is how I(Father) survived. I feel she can be cared for as well.