Ever heard of the popular parenthood quote ‘you don’t choose parenthood, parenthood chooses you?’ Well, for media personality Anthony Ndiema, the journey has been a rollercoaster of emotions, constantly learning and unlearning things.
Speaking in an interview on the Malezi Bora show, the father of three narrated his experience as a first-time dad and the shock that came with the birth of his first child.
“I remember that time I was doing an early morning show, my wife was 37 weeks. So I left around 3 am and at that time she had started complaining of pain. When I got to the office I called her and she said the contractions were getting intense but by that time she had spoken to her gynecologist who prescribed a drug for her.
Emergency Caesarian Section
“Coming back home the pain was unbearable and I had to rush her to hospital and at this time, I was so tensed because of the morning hour traffic so I broke all the traffic rules. I was saying if any police officer dared to stop me at that time I would have run him over. So we get to the hospital and the doctor said the baby’s oxygen level was too low because the placenta had detached, therefore cutting off the oxygen supply. My wife was then wheeled to theatre for an emergency caesarian section. The doctor told me to pray,” he recalled.
Fortunately, his prayers were answered and baby Joshua Kalya Ndiema was born in perfect condition. According to the Radio Maisha presenter, everything was okay until they realized their child had not uttered a word by the time he clocked four years. Worried, they took him to various hospitals and were told he might never speak.
“I got very interesting reports. One of the reports was, you need to start learning sign language for Joshua’s sake because he might not talk ever,” narrated Anthony.
Rebuking the doctor’s report, Anthony and his wife started Joshua on speech therapy and gathered with friends to pray for him and speak blessings on his life. Again, they saw a miracle as out of nowhere, Joshua began talking.
The arrival of their second child, according to Anthony, helped Joshua a lot in terms of building his interactions and communication.
“His sister in fact has helped him the most, especially when it comes to his speech and interactions. They fight a lot but they love each other even more.”
Support system
Anthony explained that his wife has been a great encouragement to him when he felt overwhelmed with the ‘what if’s’, adding that his marriage has not changed one bit despite the challenges they have faced. On the contrary, it brought them even closer.
“Fatherhood never changed my marriage. Even with the up and downs, we remained the same. My wife has so much faith compared to me. As a parent you are fearful. You are constantly wondering how will Joshua be when he grows up? Will he be able to defend himself?
“But my wife tells me this child is perfect. He is God’s child. God will support him in the future so I shouldn’t worry. It brought us even closer you know.”
Balancing being a father and a husband
“Most of the time I’m around my kids. My wife sometimes feels guilty she is away but I always tell her it’s okay and that we should thank God one parent is hands-on. So I have been very deliberate on how I manage my time to ensure I maximize my time with the kids and also my wife.”
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