Mom braves on despite birth of child with SCT
Source: The Sangai Express

Kangpokpi, September 23 2017: Forty eight years old Chongpi, wife of Mulmu (49), of T Lhangnomphai village located about 2 kms from Moreh in Tengnoupal district is poor but more than poverty it is the pain of seeing her child, who was born with Sacrococcygeal Teratoma Type-I on September 3 this year, that is slowly eating into her existence .

But she carries on bravely, a courage that has come from the selfless love of her child .

Sacrococcygeal Teratoma (SCT) is an unusual tumour that, in the newborn, is located at the base of the tailbone (coccyx).

This birth defect is more common in female than in male babies .

It has been categorized as Type I – Primarily external or has a minimal presacral component; Type II – Predominantly external but has a significant intrapelvic component; Type III – Predominantly intrapelvic with abdominal extension, with a small external component and Type IV – Entirely within the pelvis and abdomen .

Mom braves on despite birth of child with SCT

The world turned upside down when the impoverished couple, who mainly depend on the daily earning of the husband, had a girl child with such a misfortune.

But the mother in her says that she is willing to even become a slave to anybody to enable her to treat her child, who is the tenth child in the family .

Chongpi delivered her youngest daughter Nengneithem at their residence on September 3 morning at around 5 and found her daughter with a swelling buttock which prompted them to immediately take her to the nearest PHC at Moreh and later to the CHC Moreh where the child was referred to RIMS Hospital Imphal considering her condition on September 13 after providing some treatment .

With assistance from KSO, Imphal and relatives living at Imphal, they brought the girl child to RIMS where doctor advised them to take her to JNIMS as there is no ICU facility for infant even if surgery had to be done.

Later, the family as per the advice, brought the child to JNIMS Hospital but they met with similar a condition .

However, JNIMS doctor kept the child under observation and fixed her surgery on September 28 .

"I saw my daughter’s swelling buttock after her birth and it [the swelling portion] became reddish and started increasing gradually which worried me a lot", said Chongpi, the mother .

Chongpi who delivered her other children normally said "I never even imagined such a state since all my other children were born normal and doing well till today."
If proper treatment is not given the child has no chance of being normal, said the mother and added, "We hope of finding an opportunity for her treatment and so we are currently staying at Imphal .

"I am even ready to become a slave to anyone who helps me in my child treatment", said Chongpi, wife of the daily labourer, Mulmu, who earn hardly Rs 200/- per day .

She also said that except the travelling charge of Rs 1500/- provided by the PHC Moreh, there has been no assistance from the Government till today.

The cost of the treatment for her child is likely to cost more than Rs 20 lakh.