The Late Jasmine's CP story

“ My daughter would have be turning 5 years this year, she was the sunniest child I had ever seen, Her presence was angelic. Jasmine was her name. I gave birth to her in my first year in campus and though I wasn't prepared to be a parent, I looked forward to raising my little princess. I gave birth to her at Coast General hospital after 4 days In labour something I later was told shouldn't have happened. She suffered from severe birth asphyxia and not enough oxygen supply got to her brain. All seemed well and I enjoyed the early months of motherhood apart from the sleepless nights we had where she always seemed to be in pain and would cry for hours. Being a first time mom I didn't know what to expect and I noticed a lot of odd behavior that when I raised to the doctors they would tell me nothing was wrong. Jasmine's life always seemed like she was in pain since we didn't know how to go about raising her. We didn't have the tools to raise her and being her mum was a pain in my heart, it still is, knowing that she wouldn't be like any other child but I still had hopes. She would get sick every single month and you can imagine the agony a 19 year old mother went through seeing her child in a sickly and weak state. I went into denial. I refused to believe that my child had cerebral palsy which she was diagnosed with after a few months in therapy. I had just finished my 3rd year exam when I got a call that my daughter is gone. I still don't know the cause of her death. One thing I am grateful for is that she isn't hurting no more, She is at peace and that I got to meet an angel in real life. I learnt compassion from raising her, what true love looks like. I was a mother to a child with special needs for a reason and I intend to tap into that for the sake of young mums like me.

This is a wound that I am working on healing. There was a time I blamed myself for her condition and her death but I know God isn't such a sadist to give me a child and take her from me without it serving a purpose. This year I will be executing a project that targets young mums, more so those raising children with special needs and I don't know if this is a sign but you came just at the right time to remind me of my calling. To find strength in that moment of weakness and to use my space and voice to help and inspire those who are in the same position I am. You are a story of victory. I know it isn't easy but you give us hope”

71Maureen Atichi, Maseki Stephanie and 69 others

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