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Nairaland Forum / Nairaland / General / Health / Meet Kebbi’s Unique Siblings Who Have Blue Eyes And Are Deaf And Dumb (photos) (435 Views)
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Meet Kebbi’s Unique Siblings Who Have Blue Eyes And Are Deaf And Dumb (photos) by nairalander2020(m): 4:06pm On May 28, 2020 |
This is the story of three Kebbi siblings who are,
amazingly, blue-eyed, but in a twist of fate, deaf
and dumb.
When a Twitter user called Farida Mahmud posted a
picture of a young, blue-eyed girl she encountered,
she had no idea that the subject of her photo was deaf
and dumb, or that she had siblings who also had same-
hued eyes, and also suffered the same predicament.
Our reporter reached out to her, and was soon put
into contact with the Kebbi-based mother of
Ummulkhairi.
Hailing from Sauwa in Kebbi State, and having been
married at the age of twelve, Bilkisu Aliyu, 35, bore
seven children, four males and three females.
Three out of them are blue-eyed, as well as deaf and
dumb.
The uniquely blue-eyed siblings, assist their mother
by begging for alms to cater for their needs.
The youngest, seven-year-old Ummulkhairi, may be
deaf and dumb, but the little angel is capturing
hearts with her blue eyes, and captivating many with
her wide smile.
An act of God
Our reporter, via several phone calls, linked up with
her mother Bilkisu, to learn more about her unique
children.
Bilkisu told Daily Trust Saturday that when she gave
birth to her first child, Ibrahim, and noticed his blue
eyes, she saw it as an act of God.
I did not take him to the hospital when I gave birth
to him.
“I only maintained patience.
“As he grew, I became aware that he was deaf.
“I initially thought he was blind, too, but he’s not.
“Thereafter, because when he’s spoken to he doesn’t
respond, we realised that he is deaf.
“As for his siblings, immediately I delivered them and
realized in the morning they’ve got similar eyes, I
concluded that they’re deaf, like their elder brother.
“No one has ever advised me concerning them, so I
let it be.”
Despite their predicament, their mum noted that their
outlook towards life remains positive.
“They interact normally with people without any
problem,” Bilkisu said of her three children, Ibrahim,
Maryam, and Ummulkhairi.
She also told Daily Trust Saturday that they aren’t
stigmatized, but rather, they enjoy admiration from
people.
“People generally love [the children] and always want
to speak to them,” Bilkisu said, smiling, via a
WhatsApp video call.
However, she noted that it is difficult feeding them,
and she has resorted to menial jobs to be able to
cater for their needs.
“I perform household chores for people, like helping
them fetch water and sometimes I beg for alms.
“It is incredibly difficult,” she added.
Ummul-khairi
When asked about the father of the children, Bilkisu
noted that he is alive, but has been sick for about a
decade, bedridden.
“He used to be a trader and then became a farmer.
“He’s left the village, and us to our fate,” she said,
sadness in her voice.
Bilkisu wants Ibrahim, her eldest, also blue-eyed, to
train as a tailor.
But she has no idea what she wants for her two blue-
eyed daughters.
“But I would appreciate if they’re enrolled in school.
“The mother of seven told Daily Trust Saturday that
all she wants is for her children to succeed in life.
“I would like them to learn a trade, or have an
education, and have the kind of life I never had; a
good one,” she said.
Ibrahim, it was learnt, was once enrolled into
primary school and can write his name, but he
eventually dropped out.
His sisters, however, have never seen the four walls –
or tree shade – of a classroom, which their mother
Bilkisu blames on ‘rural influence’.
For Bilkisu and her children, life has had its ups and
downs, but she is resolute in making sure to keep
them safe.
But she faces a major challenge: “We always have
difficulty feeding.
“We get by with menial jobs, begging, and sometimes
hawking,” she said, tearfully.
They need medical attention – Experts
Though theories abound about their blue eyes being the
reason why they are deaf and dumb, it’s difficult to
tell as their mother has disclosed that they have never
been taken for a consultation at any medical facility.
Experts spoken to by Daily Trust Saturday say it
would appear that the children are suffering from a
rare genetic condition called Waardenburg Syndrome
(WS).
One expert said it is usually characterized by varying
degrees of deafness, and eye pigmentation anomalies.
“Symptoms may vary, but they include pale or
brilliantly blue eyes, and even eyes of two different
colours, as well as moderate to profound hearing
impairment,” another said.
But both agreed that a test needs to be carried out
to be certain, adding that the deafness is likely to
be treatable.
Bilkisu said she would be eternally grateful to anyone
who helps her children get medical attention.
“Their well-being is my number one priority right
now,” she sighed.
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Re: Meet Kebbi’s Unique Siblings Who Have Blue Eyes And Are Deaf And Dumb (photos) by majamajic(m): 4:10pm On May 28, 2020 |
Wow |
Re: Meet Kebbi’s Unique Siblings Who Have Blue Eyes And Are Deaf And Dumb (photos) by tyup(m): 4:29pm On May 28, 2020 |
Beauty in Deformity |
Re: Meet Kebbi’s Unique Siblings Who Have Blue Eyes And Are Deaf And Dumb (photos) by illicit(m): 5:21pm On May 28, 2020 |
Sorry |
Re: Meet Kebbi’s Unique Siblings Who Have Blue Eyes And Are Deaf And Dumb (photos) by gasparpisciotta: 6:13pm On May 28, 2020 |
Stunned.......Awesome.....WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Pray I can help |
(1) (Reply)
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