Elizabeth Kandogo (centre) and her triplets. Her husband and relatives have abandoned her and the infants at AVI Matercare Hospital in Isiolo. [Bruno Mutunga, Standard]
Children are often considered a gift from God, and the arrival of one sparks celebrations. Things get even better with multiple births.
For 30-year-old Elizabeth Kadogo, however, giving birth to triplets- Emily Loweri, Jacinta Ngimat and Simon Epur- filled her with mixed emotions.
“I was shocked and at the same time excited when I gave birth to the triplets," she said yesterday.
The uncertainty and fear were as a result of the signs that the arrival of the three could have marked the beginning of the end of her marriage.
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When her husband visited her at Avi-Matercare Hospital in Isiolo County, he was so petrified at the sight of the triplets that he did not get anywhere near them.
He sat at the farthest corner and could not even hold any of the babies until medics talked him into it. This would be the last time Ms Kadogo would see her husband.
She now fears that he could have been overwhelmed by the responsibilities that awaited him, considering they have three other children.
The first time she became a mother, she gave birth to a set of twins but one died.
“In our community people only hear of cases where a mother has given birth to twins, but not three babies at the same time. This came as a shock to my mother-in-law, who was elderly and couldn’t stand the news,” Kadogo said.
Her mother-in-law is said to have died after receiving news that Kadogo had given birth to triplets.
Sister Emily Chebiwott of the Apostolic Vicariate of Isiolo and who also works at the facility said they counselled Kadogo "so that she could accept and embrace her babies".
