At the excitement of a new born baby, most parents regardless of their economic status arrange for favourable conditions for the kids upbringing. Though not in mansions, most kids grow up getting maximum attention from mothers who avoid whatever might affect them negatively.

Gerard Ukwimanishaka is one kid whose childhood hasn’t been favorable because of a slight mistake done by the mother.

In 2006, the 3 year old boy devoured a corrosive chemical (ultra sheen) an acid meant for retouching hair.  Since then, little Ukwimanishaka hasn’t been able to eat anything- not even breast milk.

"His throat has sores and I am afraid to say it’s decomposing,” says Dr Gilbert Rugamba of King Faisal Hospital. He says that the little boy’s inside parts which the acid affected are as well decaying. 

For the three years of his life, Ukwimanishaka has been bedridden, something that has pushed his mother to extreme poverty.

At first he was admitted in Kibuye hospital in 2006, where he would be fed through drips that the doctors would insert in his veins.

As time went on, the hospital authority found it impossible to treat the kid and transferred him to Kigali Central Hospital, though no tangible solution was provided. His latest transfer to King Faisal hospital has seen tubes being inserted into his stomach to facilitate eating.

As one reaches his bed, the little kid tries hard to wave a hand. However this is in vain as the pain he is going through is too much for the effort.

"What worries me is the fact that he never sleeps,” says Venuste Niyigena the mother. She blames herself for her child’s situation saying it was due to her carelessness and being economical.

"I would have hired a maid other than taking him to my place of work.”

Being a hair stylist, Niyigena would take her son along with her. The unlucky day came when she was styling a customer for her wedding. She was so much taken up that her child ate almost half of the acidic chemical before she realiszed.

"By the time I got to know, my baby wouldn’t cry because of pain,” adds the mother. By then, Gerald was one year old.

As a hair dresser, she used to earn 3000 francs a day. Her husband being a fisherman who wasn’t sure about his earnings exposed Venuste to the risk of working very hard to cater for her home’s basic needs.

To add to her misery, police interrogated Niyigena several times on assumptions that she might have intentionally given the acid to her child. At the police, she recalls people shouting insulting words at her.

Gerard is the 1st born to Niyigena {26} and his life is at stake which scares her mother the most. Her future is unwelcoming since she doesn’t even possess a passport yet the operation has to be done in India.

"We are waiting for surgery in India as regards our transfer,” says Dr. Rugamba. The medic confesses to having tried all they could to save the child but all in vain.

Ends