I Expected a Baby that will Make me Happy: Young Mum who Went Viral for Delivering 'Ageing Child' Opens up

• The 20-year-old mother who recently gave birth to a baby with the rare aging disorder called progeria has finally reacted to the look of her child
• In a recent interview, the young lady lamented that she had becoming a laughing stock in the community
• The new mother who said she had expected a child that will make her happy called on the government to come take away the child

According to Cleveland Clinic, progeria is a very rare genetic disease that causes children to age rapidly. Children with progeria appear to be healthy at birth but usually start to show signs of rapid ageing in the first two years of their life.

In Libode just outside of Mthatha in the OR Tambo region in South Africa, on 26 June, the family of Mtshobi saw themselves giving care to their infant, who was born with progeria, and life has since been intense in the family.

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There is confusion as this is the first time such a situation has been encountered in this family and they have no answers about what the trigger could have been.

The grandmother Ntombizakhe Mtshobi, who is 55 years old, says that this is so hard to accept. It's never been seen before that a two-month-old baby looks this old.

"We have become a laughing stock in the community, I have so many kids and I am not employed and now this happens."

She says that the only question she has is how will the child grow up to be?

"When I hold her, I burst into tears," in the words of the devastated grandmother.

In an exclusive interview with Briefly News monitored by Legit.ng, the lady who is 20-year-old Ongeziwe Mtshobi, says that she wishes that the government would take her child away.

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"This is my first child, I expected a baby that will make me happy, I don't know how I will live a life with a child that is already looking this old at two months."

Ongeziwe says she needs mental counselling and psychological help to be able to deal with this.

Her two-month-old baby, Onesipho, which means "the gifted one", is already an outcast in the community, compared to something that is not human, yet her name carries so much weight and volume.

Her child was born at home

Her child was given a home birth and only recently, Onesipho had to be taken to a hospital for procedural medical observation after birth. It was only then the Libode community learnt of the condition known as Progeria.

Mr Petros Majola of Khula Community project, a leader in the fight against human inequality and human rights in the Eastern Cape, shared in a video clip that he is urging communities to embrace uncontrollable conditions such as that of Onesipho.

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"Poor people continue to be victims of prejudice and not being taken into much consideration," he said.

Doctors say that the condition can unfortunately not be cured but through medical observations, it can be monitored by checking whether the heart and blood vessels are healthy.

The community is calling on the health department to intervene as progeria requires intensive care.

Brother and sister with rare medical condition survive

Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that a brother and sister with a rare medical condition had survived against all odds.

The siblings have refused to let progeria stop them from living their lives to the fullest.

20-year-old Michiel and 12-year-old Amber are inspiring others living with the disease to live their best lives. In a recently featured episode on Barcroft TV, the siblings shared their life stories and talked about their hobbies.

Source: Legit.ng