Who will save Baby Marvelous?

Baby Marvellous is in pains. He is suffering but the parents lack money to allow him conduct a scan that would determine what is wrong with him. They are now calling on publicspirited individuals to come to their rescue. PAULINE ONYIBE reports from Yenagoa

Life wants to deal him a heavy blow and wash him out of the surface of this earth. Marvelous, as he is fondly called came into this life nine years ago. He came into Ogarabe’s family to live and fulfill his destiny but one strange sickness won’t let him be. A sharp and brilliant child, according to the father but he is fast turning into a vegetable except the public comes to the aid of Marvelous.

The entire family of seven are living in Akenfa 3 in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State. New Telegraph visited and saw almost everybody in a sorrowful mood because of Marvelous, who they said was living a normal life while the tumor was growing rapidly. Little Marvelous Ogarabe at 9 years old is small as a child of three because of the sickness which has almost making other parts of body dysfunctional. Once a pupil of Wise Ones International Academy located at Akenfa 3 from 2014 but Marvelous stopped schooling when the situation became worse in 2016. Narrating the ordeal of his son, Bright Ndubuisi Ogarabe, from Omoku, Rivers State said he noticed that his little son could no longer talk in 2016. Narrating how it all started, Ogarabe said he noticed that the head started growing months after they gave birth to him. “We noticed it and took him to General Hospital, Omoku and they referred us to teaching hospital. We went there and they said they were on strike.

The little money that was with me then, I used it for another thing. “When they called off the strike, there was no money again. That was how I left the whole matter because there was no money with me. That time, he was talking well, playing, going to school. We came to Bayelsa here and they started school in Wise Ones International Academy. “They came here 2014 and in 2016, the problem came up. The boy could speak not out again. I now stopped him from schooling. From there, I took him back to the Teaching Hospital, Port Harcourt and they said I will do test called MRI.

There in Port Harcourt, they told me N60,000 and I told them when I get the money , I will come. “But they said they don’t have the machine there in the Teaching Hospital. They brought one woman that said it was N60,000. I tried Bayelsa to know if it will be cheaper. I looked round and I could not find the machine. Later, I went to Glory Land Hospital. So, they told me that it was N80,000. Since then, I could not raise the money to do the scan.

“Since then, the boy has not been strong. Last week Tuesday, if not God, he would have given up. People have been telling me to speak up but I have been ashamed but because of what happened on Tuesday, I had no option than to call on the public to help. “I have sold my things. For now, I have nothing.

I have even sold my land to put my son in order but people were always referring me to wrong places where there was no solution. I have sold my father’s building. “I want the public to assist me so that Marvelous will go back to school because he is an intelligent boy. Even if the government said I should bring him, no problem. All I want is that he will get well.”

He said he has gone to some hospitals to treat him but because he does menial jobs, he can’t afford the treatment, coupled with the flood which he said has even crippled the job that they now find it very difficult to feed. He asked from public spirited individuals and organizations to help him revive his son. Also, the mother, Mrs Wilson Ogarabe narrating how it all started said: “This sickness started when Marvelous was around three months. He started drying up and we took him to clinic at at Omoku in Rivers State. They said we should go and buy SMA gold. And we bought it and started giving to him.” She said the baby was eating well but the body was not coming out. “We went to Port Harcourt.

They said I should continue to give him his food. Any time I went back there, they were always on strike. We didn’t go back again. From there, it continued to develop. From that time till now, the boy was no longer himself. “I started carrying him up and down, to churches, to everywhere, to hospitals, doing fasting and prayers. “In 2013, we came to Bayelsa State and we put him in school with all my children. I have five children.

They were going to school. Reaching third term in 2015, then he was six years. Then , he was doing well, talking and running around. I was happy. After their exams in July, then I have given birth to my second son. Marvelous said mummy see person. “From that time, he was still talking but I was not hearing him again. I was surprised. Even my neighbours were surprised that this boy can’t talk any more. I’m tired of the whole thing. I have cried. I have left everything to God believing he will save my son.

“I don’t know where it came from. I started noticing that the head was getting bigger from six months when he began to dry up. They prescribed all manner of drugs and foods. I was buying and giving. “Then, I didn’t know any other place than hospital. That was where I was taking him to. He doesn’t sleep most of the time. At the hospital, they didn’t tell us anything until two years ago when the father took him back to hospital. They said we should go and scan for N60,000. We don’t have the money and no help because we have sold everything we have trying to save the life of Marvelous. “No help either. We have not been able to do that scan.

They said if we do the scan, we will know how to treat the sickness. We have not got the money to do the scan. “The sickness is affecting the entire family. Sometimes, when he will be sick, there won’t be any money in the house. Even last week Tuesday, he would have died. I was not even around. I went to village where they called me that my mother’s farm has been covered by flood. “My husband called that Marvelous was dying. But the road was covered with water.

No way to come back. “The thing is affecting everybody. Even my parents, the problem is affecting them. “I’m begging the public to help me so that this boy will live his normal life. Anybody that can help, let them help. Because of this boy, I can’t leave him and go out. If my husband has gone out and the remaining children go to school, I don’t go anywhere. I stay with Marvelous in the house.

I don’t go to anywhere, to do business, nothing and the thing is affecting us because it is only my husband now that is catering for the family.” Also Peace Chinasa, the elder sister, asked the public to help her brother to live again. She said: “Please, let the public help my brother so that he will go back to school.” Government agencies, public spirited individuals, and nongovernmental organizations they are asking to come to their aid.