Posted by By Emeka Eyinnaya on
The congregation of a pentecostal church in Ibadan, Oyo State, was held spell-bound shortly before Christmas when a couple (name withheld) decided to give an usual testimony: their two young kids had tested positive to HIV, a condition leading killer Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS).
The congregation of a pentecostal church in Ibadan, Oyo State, was held spell-bound shortly before Christmas when a couple (name withheld) decided to give an usual testimony: their two young kids had tested positive to HIV, a condition leading killer Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS).
More surprise: the innocent youngster got infected through the female househelp of 16.
The shocker came in form of a testimony given by the unfortunate mother during church service who said she decided to break her long silence 'to serve as lesson to other parents to beware of the danger in entrusting their wards to house-helps."
Discreet investigations by the parents confirmed that the house-help had been jumping from one bed to another in their neighbourhood in Ibadan.
According to her, the family got the shocking news following a routine medical test earlier in year (2004). Moving enough, the two kids, who attend a private nursery school in Ibadan, were also present during service alongside their dad while the mother gave her testimony:
'We cried to the Lord, how can this happen to us. We wondered where and how children of 7 and 10 could contract this deadly disease called AIDS.
'We first carried our case to the Lord before we began our own investigation. Naturally, we panicked and the small voice in us told us we should keep it to ourselves. Initially, we resisted going for an AIDS test ourselves. We were afraid of the consequences if we were to test positive to AIDS.
'Eventually, we summoned courage and decided to see a doctor. We wanted to make it as secret as possible. We wanted it to be our own cross. But most importantly, we agreed to go for the test for the sake of our children. We wanted to know whether we were the ones responsible for their fate.
'So, we became even more apprehensive when we tested negative. Who and what then could be responsible?, we asked ourselves.
'Again, we sought God's face. The God opened our eyes that we should subject our househelp to a similar AIDS test.
'Another riddle began when the househelp tested positive. How did it happen? How did these children contracted AIDS from the househelp?
'We took time to explain to her the implications of her testing positive to AIDS virus. We seriously appealed to her to let us into how she passed the virus to our children.
'We told her we were not going to hold her responsible for the plight of our children. That we wanted her to be honest with us in order to find a solution to the problem at hand."
Then the bombshell!
'She was in tears when she told us that she used to make use of the children's toothbrushes. She confessed she did this many times over whenever she could not lay hands on her own toothbrush.
'Not only that, she revealed that she equally used her own toothbrush for the children. She said she did all this out of ingnorance. That she meant no harm as she was not aware of the deadly implications of her actions.
'Since then, life has not been the same with us. We now look our children with pity. What future do they have now? We look ahead, and watch how these our lovely children will die slowly.
'But we are trusting in God for divine healing.
'This is the cross, the pain, we have to carry for the rest of our life. The lives of these innocent children are clearly in danger for no fault of theirs. We feel guilty for bringing this girl in as our househelp."