27-year-old father of quadruplets begs for help •Says without help, babies survival is dicey

For the Mufu Jelili family of Akingbile Ilagbe, a community in Akinyele Local Government Area of Oyo State, the plan was to have a well planned family of three children over a period of 10 years. And when the wife, Motunrayo Jelili, got pregnant few months after the third birthday of their first child, Olalekan Ahmid in 2017, they were happy that their plans was still on course.

Indeed, when Motunrayo had issues that kept her at home and away from work as a tailor for the first five months of the pregnancy, they were still not disturbed. And the scan conducted thrice in the course of the pregnancy only indicated a slight change of plans; it only revealed that she was pregnant with twins.

For the family, it was unexpected as they had thought they will have a child each three times. But they quickly adjusted to the fact that that would be the last pregnancy as they only planned on three children. They had made up their mind that it will be a struggle keeping two babies at a time, but they believed that with hard work, the twins and their brother will be taken care of. For them, it was only a matter of putting in extra efforts.

This however was not the case as their best laid plans as well as hope shattered suddenly on April 26, 2018 when after a protracted labour, 27-year-old Mufu and his wife got a shock as she was delivered of quadruplets. It was unbelievable and unexpected as the doctors were also amazed when after two babies; they still saw that there were more.

“We had gotten used to the fact that there would be two babies as revealed by the scan I did. In fact, I did scan tests three times and it all revealed same thing, so we were expecting twins. But after the second baby came out, I saw the way the doctor and nurses were conversing that there was something wrong, I was naturally scared as I didn’t know what was going on and I was still in pain. I was shocked when they told me there was still a baby inside, making it three instead of two.

“But after the third child was delivered, I became confused when they still said there was one more. Then, I knew there was trouble because I knew that even with twins, we were going to have it rough,” Motunrayo told Nigerian Tribune.

The quadruplets, all girls were delivered over a period of three and a half hours in which the mother could not even comprehend the direction her life was going. “It was a normal but difficult delivery; the first one came out at midnight and the others followed at irregular intervals with the last one delivered after three,” Motunrayo explained.

For Mufu, a bricklayer, the quadruplets though a blessing has become a burden that is quickly overwhelming. Aside the huge financial burden that is too much for the family to bear, he cannot run around to hustle for jobs as was his practice before the birth of the quadruplets because he has to stay close home to assist his wife as they had no one to help them.

“I cannot blame God, but this is too much for me to bear. Taking care of the girls’ costs an average of N10, 000 daily, where do I raise this kind of money? I have ran around and I am at a breaking point. As a bricklayer, work is not even smooth as it used to be because of the economic situation in the country. A bricklayer cannot sit at home expecting to get jobs but that is the situation I have found myself.

“Because we cannot afford to get help and my wife cannot cope on her own alone with the children; I have to stay close to the house to help out and this has hindered my movement and stopped me from hustling for jobs the way I would have done normally because I am not a lazy man and I know the enormity of being a responsible father.

“I have no one that can help, the only help we have now is my aged mother-in-law and there is little she can do too. I am overwhelmed and worried about the future and survival of these children. We have come to realize that we cannot cope and that is why we are appealing to well meaning Nigerians and the government to help us out,” Mufu said.

Since the arrival of the girls named Naheemat, Aminat, Nimotali and Rasheedat had been a test of fate especially on Mufu who is feeling inadequate and unworthy for not being able to cater for the blessings that God has deemed fit to give him in the last one month.

According to him, though he is overwhelmed with the financial and psychological burden, running away is not an option as he cannot abandon his young wife to face the challenge alone nor can he leave his family.

“It is not a thought that ever crossed my mind. I can’t leave my wife alone to face this because even with the two of us, we cannot cope. I can never abandon my family. That is why I am begging people to please help me. We do not see it as a right, I know it is my responsibility to take care of my family, but I am appealing to people to help me because I am afraid of what can happen to these children. I want them to survive and become in life.

“My appeal is that people should find it in their hearts to assist me with these children not because I deserve it, but for these innocent girls to fulfill purpose in life,” Mufu begged.

The survival of Naheemat, Aminat, Nimotali and Rasheedat depends on the efforts of kind-hearted people now.

Kindly contact Yejide Gbenga-Ogundare on 08116706853