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Little
Freddie the Kenyan baby born
without
arms and legs has
died
Little Freddie
Musena the Kenyan baby born without arms and legs died on
Tuesday 28th February in his mothers arms. Little
Freddie’s funeral took place on Wednesday in which three hundred
people attended to show their respect to their little hero.
Dee said; My
darling Freddie Passed away in my arms. He was the light of my
life, and all that I lived and worked for I will always love
him.
Freddie Astbury
said we have lost a very special little boy. Our thoughts and
prayers are with his mother and father Dee and Sammy Knot-M’tile.
Little Freddie's Story
'The Kenyan Baby Born Without Arms or Legs'
This is the
story of a British woman
'Dee Knott-Mtile',
who now lives in Kenya and who has adopted a little baby boy
born without any limbs. the drug thalidomide, is easily
available in third world countries.
Dee
Knott-Mtile
is a British woman, who now lives with her Kenyan husband
'Sammy' in
district of Malindi of
Kenya, they have
seven children. Three of their children are orphans, one of them
was also an ex street wise child, who had been on the street
since the age of 5, today he is 15 years. Dee and Sammy have
recently adopted a baby boy, born without limbs.
A children's
Officer came to visit Dee on the 16th May 2004. The children's
officer informed her of a baby boy which had been born in a
village not too far from where she lived. The officer told Dee
that the baby had been born without arms or legs and at that
moment was in the District hospital for his own safety, because
some of his family wanted to kill him, because of his
disabilities. Dee asked the children's officer if they had been
able to find a placement for this child, he answered no. She
then informed the officer that the baby now had a home and that
her and her husband would care for him. The officer said that he
would phone them the following day (Monday 17th may).
Dee received a
phone call the next day from the children's office to say that
she was needed at the hospital. Before reaching the hospital she
went to the children's office of Malindi where an officer
accompanied her to the hospital.
Dee was taken to
the small room where the baby was lying on a large bed, wrapped
in a cloth. There were many people wanting to see the baby and
some were paying the mother money to observe him, which I found
very distressing. The mother had taken the baby to the hospital
on the night of his birth as she did not want her husband to
kill him.
The mother knew
that she could not look after the baby, and that the family
would not accept the baby into the community. The Father in
particular wanted his baby dead.
Seeing the baby
for the first time shocked Dee, he was so tiny, and apart from
his missing limbs he had an umbilical hernia, a septic
umbilical, a full body rash and foul smelling diarrhoea,
infected but no treatment given at that time. From the moment
that she first saw him Dee wanted to give him everything in life
that he needed, but most important "love and safety".
After speaking
with the doctor in charge she wrapped him in his cloth and
brought him to his new home. Before leaving the hospital the
matron of the unit said to Dee “Babies like this one do not live
for long" she turned to her and said "This baby will live".
When Dee reached
her home she started treating Freddie's infections, which soon
cleared up. With the help of pampers nappies and the firm
fastening the hernia seems to have been resolved.
On examining the
baby, Dee found that his left side was slightly more developed
then the right side. On his left side of his buttock he has a
small foot with two toes, but on right side of the buttock is a
small bud which is slightly inside the buttock making it look
like a dimple, then nothing.
The baby finds
it hard to support his head which is still floppy, but after
making him a special collar he finds it better and so much more
interesting for him as he can look around.
As far as Dee
can tell his sight and hearing are perfect, he smiles and
gurgles the baby can now baby talk now, mama, baba, dada and
even though he cannot support his head he will shake it if he
does not want to eat. When lying in his pushchair he moves his
head to make the toys and rattle move which are fastened above
him, also he bangs his head on the cushion in his rocking chair
to make it rock. When lying on his belly the baby seems to move
his body like a caterpillar.
(Please Click
on Photo to Enlarge)
Dee and Sammy
has named the baby Freddie Musena (Musena means "friend") and
they both love him very much, and like all parents want the best
for him.
Freddie is now
18 months old, he has been with Dee and Sammy since being only
10 days old and from the little baby that they could hold in the
palm of there hands he is growing and becoming stronger by the
day.
Dee
Knott-Mtile
contacted Dr Martin Johnson 'director of The
Thalidomide Trust' for advice, the trust could not help, so they
passed her on to Freddie Astbury President Thalidomide UK for
advice and support.
Freddie Astbury
soon realised that Kenyan doctors did not have the experience of
dealing with babies like little Freddie. He also found out that
hospitals did not have the scanning equipment to see if little
Freddie had internal deformities.
Freddie Astbury
accepts that Thalidomide UK would have to look at a way in
getting little Freddie to the UK for urgent treatment.
The cause of
Little Freddie deformities is currently unknown, but do resemble
the thalidomide disabilities, which were caused by a drug
prescribed to pregnant women for morning sickness, instead it
caused severe deformities in babies.
The drug
thalidomide is today used in the treatment of leprosy and AIDS
in third world countries. Created on the 3rd July 2005
LITTLE
FREDDIE VISIT'S THE UK FOR
MEDICAL TREATMENT
Little Freddie
arrived in the UK on the 7th July at Heathrow airport
was met by his adopted British mother Dee Knott-M’tile and
President of Thalidomide UK Freddie Astbury.
Little Freddie
was originally refused entry in to the UK after the British
Embassy refused him a visa for medical treatment. Thalidomide UK
with the world’s media launched a campaign against Jack Straw
(foreign secretary). The Foreign Office requested an urgent
meeting with Freddie Astbury of Thalidomide UK where
permission for a visa was given.
Freddie was
treated at Queen Mary's Hospital in Roehampton, south-west
London. He has been fitted with a cast that enables him to sit
up. A second cast is attached to a trolley on wheels, crafted in
the shape of a dog with a leash, which means he can be moved
around.
Little Freddie’s disabilities are widely suspected of being
caused because of his natural mother taking the drug
Thalidomide, which is widely used in African countries. When he
returns to Queens Mary’s he will be having a MRI scans that will
give the reasons what caused his disabilities.
Freddie Astbury also hopes to visit little Freddie in Kenya next
year to meet other babies/children who have thalidomide-like
disabilities.
On
the 6th September both little Freddie and his adopted
British mother Dee Knott-M'tile will return to Kenya were they
will be met by his adopted Kenyan Father Sammy.
Queens Mary’s Hospital have given a present to Freddie Musena
M’tile, which is to drop all medical expenses.
Freddie Astbury (President
of Thalidomide UK) who privately donated monies towards his
medical expenses said; we our delighted that the medical team at
Queens Mary’s have made this decision and the monies already
collected will now be used for his next treatment next year.
He
added; my little
friend ‘Freddie’ now has a future and will return in June 2006
when he will be fitted with Artificial Limbs and a MRI scans
which will give the reasons what caused his disabilities.
Freddie Astbury also hopes to visit little Freddie in Kenya next
year to meet other babies/children who have thalidomide-like
disabilities.
Little Freddie’s disabilities are widely suspected of being
caused as a result of his natural mother taking the drug
Thalidomide, which is widely used in African countries.
LITTLE
FREDDIE IN THE UK
(Please Click
on Photo to Enlarge)
Kenyan
Baby Born Without LIMBS WENT
Home
Queens Mary’s Hospital have given a present to Freddie Musena
M’tile the baby born without arms and legs, which
is to drop all medical expenses.
Freddie Astbury (President
of Thalidomide UK) who privately donated monies
towards his medical expenses
said; we our delighted that the medical team at Queens Mary’s
have made this decision and the monies already collected will
now be used for his next treatment next year.
He
added; my little friend ‘Freddie’ now has a future and will
return in June 2006 when he will be fitted with Artificial Limbs
and a MRI scans which will give the reasons what caused his
disabilities. Freddie Astbury also hopes to visit little Freddie
in Kenya next year to meet other babies/children who have
thalidomide-like disabilities.
Little Freddie’s disabilities are widely suspected of being
caused as a result of his natural mother taking the drug
Thalidomide, which is widely used in African countries.
Both little Freddie and his adopted British mother Dee
Knott-M'tile will return to Kenya today were they will be met
by his adopted Kenyan Father Sammy.
Since little Freddie’s story was highlighted in the worlds
press other cases have
come forward with thalidomide-like disabilities in Kenya.
Freddie was originally refused entry into the UK by the British
Embassy; however after Thalidomide UK launch a campaign the
decision was over turned by the foreign office.
Thalidomide
UK would like to thank the following people
Freddie Astbury
(Thalidomide UK)
Dr Claus Newman
(Thalidomide Medical Expert)
Dr Soori (Queens
Mary’s Hospital)
Fiona Carnegie
(Queens Mary’s Hospital)
Dr Martin
Johnson (The Thalidomide Trust)
We would like
to thank the Media Section
Chris Johnson
(Mercury Press)
Geoff Webster
(Sun Newspaper)
Geoff Spink (BBC
Online)
Press
Association
Girish (Channel
4 News)
Storm (ITV
Forward Planning)
Jeremy Kyle
(Jeremy Kyle Show)
Helen Etheridge
(Reveal Magazine) |
