Born with no arms, young Godfred needs help

Born with no arms, young Godfred (pictured) has beaten the odds and today lives a normal life like any other boy.

Godfred takes a sip from his water bottle using his feet. At age 7, he can already take care of himself. Godfred is a Little Fighter

Seven-year-old Godfred Mabong’s feet are also his hands. He is little survivor and the story of his young life is nothing short of a miracle. Like many parents, his dad Blasius and mum Agnetha had hoped for a son as their first born child. So when the blissful moment approached, Agnetha went to the nearby Mugil health centre to deliver. Unfortunately, she battled a major birth complication.

The nurses, unable to handle the dangerous task of delivering the baby, referred Agnetha to the Modilon General Hospital in town. On June 24, 2004, she underwent an operation, and and after hours in the operating room, she finally held her baby boy in her arms. Godfred entered the world at 3.3 kilos, healthy as a horse. But, there was something terribly amiss when the couple first set eyes on their new bouncing bundle of joy. Although the child had shoulders, where his arms should have been were just two tiny nodules at each end. Anguish and anxiety replaced the happiness they felt once they realised the life that lay ahead for them and for their son.

Questions filled her mind as she glanced at her new born baby; “What have I done wrong? What would the people at the village think of my son when they see him? How will my son take care of himself in the future?” It was all she could do but choke back sad tears. “I had this strong feeling that my son would die after some days,” Blasius recalled. Baby Godfred and his mum had to spend a week at the hospital for doctors to monitor his condition.

During those times, he was fed through a tube in the nursery while his mum recovered from the painful operation. At the end of the week, Godfred and his mother were discharged, and they took the two-hour bus ride back home to their North Coast village. Once they were home, the new parents decided not to expose their baby to public eyes in fear of insults, stigma and discrimination.

And as a result, Godfred was kept indoors for two months, never leaving the house or taken outside. But after the sixth week, the other villagers heard rumours of Godfred. Soon, everyone was talking about baby Godfred, some assumed his mum had eaten an eel from a sacred place in the nearby river, and that caused her baby to lose his arms. Others said that he was the son of a ‘masalai’ (supernatural being). By that point, everyone thought that Godfred would not live to be a toddler.

Due to the rumours spreading like wildfire, Godfrey’s parents knew there was no point in hiding their son anymore. So one day, they let Godfred out of the house and he drew such attention as noone in their village had ever seen a child with Godfred’s condition before. Godfred grew up under the special loving care of parents, despite the vicious rumours that spread about how he came to be. By the age of three, Godfred was already doing what any abled-bodied child could do by himself. He could eat, drink, play, wash and even help his parents clean up around the house and in the gardens. At the age of six, everything seemed so natural Godfred.

He was a special boy with special gifts. While most adults can’t seem to get over their obstacles in life, young Godfred doesn’t have time to dwell on his differences. When his food is served, he would hastily grab a spoon with his toes and bring it to his mouth, just like he’s eating with his hands. His favorite food is rice and tinned fish by the way. After eating, he would pick up a container of water, open the lid with his toes, lift it to his mouth and drink.

During the day, Godfred is always up and about with his friends playing, bathing in the river or helping his parents weed the plots in the garden. As for sports, Godfred loves baseball because he is a born pitcher. He is also fanatical about soccer as he is a great striker with impressive dribbling skills. In addition, he is also very good in writing his alphabet and drawing.

Having two small sisters, Godfred feels more obliged to take responsibility for them seeing as he is the first born. Godfred is most times sent to trade stores to buy household food stuffs. While his sisters usually provide an extra pair of helping hands, Godfred most times likes to carry things back. He would rest the purchased items on his shoulders, clamp them with his cheeks and march back to his house.

Godfred has other abilities that make up for his lack of arms, and these include immunity to lifestyle diseases, and he can memorise and remember things. So with all the amazing things that he had acquired, and accomplished, the curse that was once placed on him is now broken.

Godfred now receives uniform treatment in the family, and his parents are also more confident of his potentials and capabilities. Possibly next year he would be attending the nearby Mirap elementary school. He is an inspiration to his community.