Unprecedented Financial Outpours For Mother Of Quintuplets Delivered At UCTH
The Oasis Reporters
January 11, 2017
Governor’s wife donates N1million, incubator to support them
Dr. Ekpo Edet and his wife had waited for ten years after wedding for a child.
Non happened.
But they waited on God for the fruit of the womb.
In between prayers and hospital attention, the wife ate more traditional Ibibio foods including edikan ikon, popular with the people of Cross River and Akwa Ibom States.
It is however not known if she was on fertility treatment, which at times leads to multiple births .
The family of Dr. Ekpo Edet whose wife delivered a set of quintuplets at the University of Teaching Hospital (UCTH) on Monday has been given N1million by the wife of the Cross River State Governor, Mrs. Linda Ayade, to support the up-keep of the babies.
Mrs. Ayade also announced the donation of N500,000 to medical doctors and other staff of the hospital who were on duty to deliver the mother of the babies.
Amongst many reasons, this gesture was meant to encourage many people in this situation, as quite a few men have been known to run into the bush and out of site on the enormous responsibility of coping with many babies in the aspects of feeding and education.
Aside from the monetary pledges, the wife of the governor also donated an incubator to the hospital to help in the upkeep of the babies.
Making the donation a few hours after the quintuplets were delivered in the morning hours of the day, Mrs. Ayade said her husband, Professor Ben Ayade, has extended his sincere congratulations to the family of the babies.
She said the birth of the five babies at once was a miracle that only God can perform.
Mrs. Ayade informed the family that her husband resolved that his administration will not abandon the babies. Stating that the birth of the quintuplets was historic for the state, Mrs. Ayade said she has never witnessed quintuplets delivered before, except what she has heard or read in books.
“God has showed us a sign that this is our year of abundance. On the first day of the year, it was twins, today its quintuplets, am over joyed!!!!,” she said.
The state Commissioner for Health Dr. Inyang Asibong, who was at the hospital to see the family congratulated the parents of the new babies and assured them that the government, will support them.
“I want to on behalf of the government and the people of the state congratulate the parents of the babies as well as the entire team led by Professor (Christopher Ubung) Iklaki that delivered these babies. I know it must have been a difficult job and thank God the babies all came out safe and the mum is also safe. If the situation were different, I would have advocated exclusive breastfeeding, but in this case, I know it will be impossible to insist on that. But the government will definitely support the family in the upbringing of the children,” Asibong said.
Father of the children who is also a doctor at UCTH, told journalists that he and his wife had waited for ten years to have a child, saying the period was the most gruelling in their family.
Edet said the arrival of the quintuplets after a decade is a victory for God and his family, but said the family needed support.
“God is never late. I have waited on him for 10years for this children. We realised that God was going to bless us with something special when my wife had a scan after some months of the pregnancy.
“At that point, we knew she was carrying more than one baby in her womb. So, I am very happy at the successful delivery of this children and I give thanks to God that the babies and the mother are very well and safe.
I call on the government and the good people of Cross River state to come and assist us to see how we can bring these children up. The country is presently going through recession everyone will agree so we will need everyone’s support to complete this joy that God has given us,” Edet said.
