Nairobi Family Forgives Doctors Whose Negligence Caused Their Daughter's Cerebral Palsy

• Carol and Boniface Chege were excited to welcome their third baby in 2015, a beautiful girl named Precious
• The childbirth didn't go well, and a series of events caused by negligence from the doctors left her with Cerebral Palsy
• Despite the heavy burden of raising a special needs child, the couple let go of the anger and forgave the medics

Carol and Boniface Chege were pronounced man and wife in a beautiful wedding ceremony on Saturday, December 10, 2005.

Carol told TUKO.co.ke that the duo had met in church through a mutual friend and struck a friendship that blossomed into love.

Blessed with first two babies

It was love at first sight, and back then, she was not in a hurry to get married, but her prince charming swept her off her feet.

So deep in love were they that Boniface convinced her to forgo her relocation to the US for further studies and stay behind to start a family.

The lovebirds were blessed with their firstborn in October 2008 and their second bundle of joy in June 2010.

"I knew it would be easier to raise two children simultaneously. When they grow up together, you buy things in pairs," she started.

Welcomed third-born

In April 205, the couple opened their arms to their third baby, a daughter they named Precious Blessing, and everything changed.

Precious, born at 4.2kgs, faced a perilous journey during delivery, experiencing a prolonged struggle in the birth canal.

"The labour pains started at 10 am, and she was stuck up until 2 pm. As an experienced mother, I noticed this delivery was different when the labour started," she recalled.

Carol says that at some point, the labour pain was non-stop, unlike other deliveries, but efforts to get the attention of doctors and nurses were futile.

Born through Caesarian Section

At some point during induction, scans showed that the baby's heartbeat had become faint, prompting an emergency Caesarean Section to get her out.

Though the surgery was swift, the newborn was struggling to breathe, and there was a line cutting across her head.

"Her forehead was protruding, and she had injuries. When they showed her to me, I was so shocked I had to look aside briefly," she continued.

Precious was rushed to the New Born Unit, but she miraculously began to breathe by herself right before they got to the unit.

Nurse messed up syringe

Just when the couple thought their troubles were over, their baby faced additional challenges at the Newborn Unit, including convulsions and difficulties breastfeeding.

Initially, she was fed through a tube, but tragedy struck when an attendant was unable to locate her vein and placed the syringe wrongly, then covered it with a bandage.

The dripping water spilt over to her incubator, where she was lying, instead of getting into her body, meaning she spent the night in wet bedding.

Medics changed the bedding and adjusted the incubator’s heating mechanism, only for the heat to go overboard and give her a heat rash all over the body.

Precious had developmental delays

The Chege family endured a week in the hospital, facing one hurdle after another before finally being discharged.

Upon returning home, life seemed to regain normalcy; however, as Precious reached three months, signs of developmental delays emerged.

"One day, while sleeping, she started screaming. At first, I thought she had a bad dream and soothed her back to sleep. This happened again and we decided to take her to the hospital," she continued.

When they checked her file, the doctor informed them that Precious lacked oxygen during delivery, but she would be given medication and therapy three times a week to help her.

Carol learned her baby had Cerebral Palsy

During her therapy sessions, she interacted with other parents who had children with delayed milestones and learned about the need for a neurologist

Since the therapist was acquainted with the neurologist, he wrote a referral letter for them to take to the doctor.

Just before they left the centre, Carol decided to read and see what was written and was shocked at what she learnt.

“This is a CP case child I’m referring to you”. This is how I learnt what my baby was suffering from—through a referral letter," she remembers, adding that the news made her break down at the centre.

Struggled with medication

It dawned on them that the ordeal during birth had led to a series of complications that ultimately resulted in their daughter's condition.

The shock and subsequent emotional journey were challenging, but Carol and her husband navigated the complexities of caring for a child with special needs with grace and determination.

They faced financial strains due to the high cost of raising a child with cerebral palsy, compounded by the lack of insurance coverage for the condition.

Social stigma and misconceptions further added to their struggles.

Despite these challenges, the Chege family found solace in a strong support system comprising friends, family, and their church community.

Couple forgave offending doctors

Carol's ultimate goal is to transform this support system into a foundation, establishing a therapy centre to assist parents and provide free essential resources for those in need.

Through her journey, Carol has emerged as an advocate for understanding, accepting, and supporting families with children facing developmental challenges.

Despite the arduous path, Precious Blessing has blossomed into a delightful, friendly, and social young girl while their parents forgave the medics for their negligence.

Her vibrant personality brings joy and laughter to their home, proving that love, acceptance, and unwavering support can triumph over adversity.