By Gbenga Adeniji
The conjoined babies of Mr and Mrs Ayeni are going to remain in the Intensive Care Unit of the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Nsukka, Enugu State for nine months.
The parents of the twins would have wished they were separated successfully as soon as possible so that they could cuddle them.
The Chief Medical Director, UNTH, Dr. Christopher Amah, said the babies were doing very well, adding that the hospital management was taking good care of them.
The CMD stated that the management decided to allow them grow for nine months so that the separation could give a better result.
He said, ‘‘If the life of both or any of them is threatened, we will have to carry out the operation. But for now, everything is fine. We will perform the surgery when the babies are nine months old so as to have a smooth operation for better result.”
Amah further said the committee inaugurated by the hospital management for the surgery had put the cost of the operation at about N5m.
On November 16, 2015, the joy of Segun Ayeni knew no bounds when his wife, Mary, was in labour.
It was expected because he had looked forward to that day when a new child would be added to his family. The family has a daughter, Marvellous, born on November 19, 2013.
His joy increased when doctors told him that his wife was going to be delivered of twins. But he got agitated when the doctors further said they were conjoined.
Ayeni said, “Naturally, you would be a little bit traumatised. That is natural. But in everything, when you know the word of God, it will strengthen you more, because it is part of life. There is nothing one can do about it. It has happened.
“I thought it was the kind of thing whereby they would be separated immediately. But I later discovered that if they should try to operate them immediately, we would lose the two girls.”
Thirty-five-year-old Ayeni, who christened the babies; Miracle and Testimony, said people have been calling him to pray for his family since his wife put to bed.
SUNDAY PUNCH gathered that the twins were joined at the hip and lower abdomen.
At the moment, Ayeni is looking for ways to get money for the surgery to carry out the separation of the babies which doctors had yet fixed a date for.
He told SUNDAY PUNCH on Friday that he was in Anambra State to execute some projects, adding, ‘‘I am running around to find money for the operation. I am neither working with a government nor with a private firm. I am self-employed and only do jobs I get. I have been told that they are not yet mature for the operation. But I want to be ready for it when the time comes. I am praying very hard while also hoping that some well-meaning Nigerians will come to my aid.’’
The father of the twins who trained as a civil engineer said the doctors told him that the babies do not share any vital organ.
He said he was optimistic that the operation for the conjoined babies would be successful because the doctors also told him that their chances of survival were very high.
A good Samaritan has also offered to assist the conjoined twins.
According to Ayeni, pretty actress, Caroline Danjuma, has called him offering to assist.
He said in an emotion-laden voice, ‘‘I am so happy that she has promised to do that for my family. She told me to inform her when the time for the operation is near. But I am still seeking favours from Nigerians to assist with the upkeep of my babies. It is natural to get moody or feel somehow when a situation such as this arises but I am strong with God. The Bible tells us that in the world we will have tribulations, but we must be of good cheer because He has overcome the world. ’’
In a telephone interview with our correspondent on Friday, Danjuma said she was moved when she saw the picture of the babies on the Internet.
Danjuma stated that she would offer assistance through her Non-Governmental Organisation, Hope Ville, which seeks to cater for women with pregnancy problems and children born with defects.
She said, ‘‘Any assistance I offer them for the operation will be between me and God. I am a mother too and understand the pains of motherhood especially in such a case. I also hope to be with them when the operation is to be performed. I have been talking with the doctors in the hospital where the babies are.’’
Danjuma is also aware that the money for the operation could be expensive. Hence, Ayeni, is hoping that other Nigerians would join forces with Danjuma to assist his babies.
Already, the couple who runs tests regularly on the twins, spends an average of N25, 000 to N35, 000 weekly for their care.
Ayeni, who hails from Yagba West Local Government Area of Kogi State, said the money could be more depending on the nature of the tests.
Like her husband, Mary was sure that God gave them the babies for a reason even as they came prior to the December celebration of their third wedding anniversary.
Mary noted, “Will I question God? What will I do as their mother? God gave them to me.”
Before the birth of the twins, doctors told their mother to do an ultrasound scan between six and seven months to the delivery. It was repeated before she was delivered of them.
Conjoined twins are not a rarity in Nigeria but also not common. In 2013, conjoined twins who shared spinal cords were separated during an arduous 18-hour operation in a hospital in India.
Forty doctors participated in the operation on the one-year-old Nigerian sisters, Hussaina and Hassana Badaru.
Born with a condition called pygopagus in Kano State, the twins were joined at the hip, had spinal cord fusion and shared a lower gastrointestinal passage and genitalia.
The Dailymail.co.uk reported that specialist surgeons at BLK Super Speciality Hospital in New Delhi, India, carried out the separation on August 12.
The doctors were said to have carried out two procedures: to divide them and for reconstructive operation.
A philanthropist paid the sum of £64,000 (N16m, using N250 to a pound in 2013) for the operation and doctors had to carry out practice experiments on dummies before the real operation.
The paediatric surgeon who led the team, Dr Prashant Jain, was quoted as saying, ‘The separation of the Badaru twins was a big challenge as they had unusual sharing of alimentary canal, genitourinary system and nervous system. We overcame this with meticulous planning and team work. Rehearsals were carried out using dummies. Every surgical step was defined and rehearsed over and over again till it reached precision.’’
In Nigeria, surgeons at the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital, Ile-Ife, Osun State, had also successfully separated a set of siamese twins. They were joined in the anus and lower spine.
A surgeon, who is an expert in the operation for the separation of conjoined twins who did not want his name in print, said doctors handling such operation would first consider the abnormalities in the twins, their sex and where they are joined.
He added that the leader of the medical team would also need to assemble multi-specialty medical experts and make general preparations for a successful operation.
The surgeon said, ‘‘During the surgery, there may be reconstruction of certain organs such as the vagina, rectum and others. The use of multi-specialty medical experts is also necessary so that each can give expert view.’’
He also said there was no need to hasten operation for the separation of conjoined twins except if the life of the conjoined twins was in danger.
According to him, it is not advisable to discharge the mother of conjoined twins to go home with the babies.
“There is ignorance in our society regarding such delivery. If they are discharged, neighbours and family members will start making insinuations about the couple. This may depress them and in turn affect the care for the babies,” the surgeon noted.
Source: Punchng.com
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