A Nigerian father has shared his regret after his daughter was diagnosed with sickle cell disease, saying he ignored genotype compatibility before marriage because of his religious beliefs.
The father revealed that he and his wife discovered they were both AS before getting married but decided to proceed with the marriage after he believed his faith and prayers would prevent them from having a child with sickle cell disease.
He said watching his daughter go through a sickle cell crisis has made him realise the seriousness of the decision he made.
According to him, he had spent three years dating his wife without sexual intimacy because of his religious convictions. He said that after discovering they were both AS, he convinced himself that his faithfulness to God would protect their future children.
The father, who described his decision as “foolishness,” urged couples not to ignore medical and scientific realities because of religious beliefs.
“Prayer cannot solve it if you open your eyes and make a mistake that reality has already shown you,” he said.
He said his experience should serve as a warning to others to take genotype compatibility seriously before marriage.
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