Seasoned actress, Kate Henshaw talks about her
involvement with the treatment of a sick child named
Michael a few months back and her regrets as regards it.
According to PUNCH Metro, here is what Kate had to say
Henshaw’s attention had been drawn to the condition of the
mother and child through the social media, while they
begged around the Onikan area of Lagos State.
Mary was reported to have had four children from different
men.
Michael, her last child, who she reportedly had for a Malian,
was said to have been born with a cancerous growth in the
face.
His mother was said to have been taking him on begging
trips, during which some residents took their pictures.
Henshaw said she was tagged on Twitter sometime in
March, 2016, and she took interest in the sick child.
She said, “I asked people to find both mother and child and
after some efforts, they were found at Osborne, Ikoyi.
“Later, someone assisted us in getting a bed space for the
sick child at LUTH. Both mother and child were admitted.”
Henshaw said she reported the case to Project Alert on
Violence Against Women, a non-government organisation,
which involved the Lagos State Government.
Mary was reported to have initially refused to cooperate
with the hospital until she was threatened with arrest.
Henshaw said the attitude of Michael’s 30-year-old mother
prompted a DNA test, which confirmed she was the
biological mother of the child.
“While at LUTH, we received reports from other mothers in
the ward and some nurses that she was aggressive. On
April 24, she fought a hospital maid and was sent out of the
ward and we had to beg that she should be taken in after
she promised to be of good behaviour.
“We visited her relatives in Irawo, Ikorodu, where we
discovered that she had three other children for different
men. She left them in the care of her aged mother.”
The Nollywood actress said on June 9, 2016, Mary walked
out of the hospital and left her baby behind.
Henshaw said she called the social welfare department and
Mary’s family for a meeting where it was agreed that she
should not be allowed to stay with the child again.
“As the meeting was going on, Mary appeared. She looked
very dirty. The social welfare workers instructed that she
shouldn’t be allowed into the ward,” she added.
She explained that after a series of medications, Michael
was removed from LUTH due to a strike action which
affected workers at the hospital.
The child was taken to Project Alert where her grandmother
started taking care of him.
Henshaw, however, said she regretted getting involved due
to the distrust of Mary’s family over the care of the child
and the management of the fund gathered for the baby,
which she said was not in her care.
She said, “A little part of me regrets; even though the Bible
says we should not be tired of doing good. The family is
giving us problems; but we are committed to the health and
medical care of Baby Michael.
“With my experience, there is going to be a lethargic, tired
attitude of celebrities when they are called to cases like this
in the future. They may donate, but for someone like me to
come out and say before the camera that ‘I, Kate
Henshaw…’ It’s not happening again.”
Mary’s sister, Syndi, however, said although the family
appreciated Henshaw’s efforts, it was not impressed, saying
there was no proper communication.
She explained that Mary ran from LUTH because she was
always harassed by the social workers.
Syndi said she was ready to take custody of the baby,
leaving the NGO and Henshaw to take care of the medical
bills.
She said, “My family is comfortable and I send N20,000 to
my mother every month; we are not begging. Even the
baby, before the encounter, was being treated at a general
hospital.
“I was surprised when I heard that my sister and the baby
were begging on the street. I was sad.
“When my sister was at the hospital, she complained that
she was always harassed by the social workers, who
sometimes also abused her. She also complained that she
was getting N3,600 every week, which was too small. It was
like she was in a cage.
“She left on that day because she had not been feeding well.
She told me that she would not go there again because of
the harassment. My mother, who took over from her, was
also not well fed.
“I am capable of taking care of Michael and I will do that. If
you are still interested in taking care of the baby’s medical
care, no problem.”
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