A Nigerian father has publicly expressed regret over his decision to proceed with having children despite knowing that both he and his wife carry the AS genotype, which puts their offspring at risk of sickle cell disease. In an emotional video that has gone viral, he attributed his choice to what he now calls his “foolish faith,” saying he believed prayer and religious devotion would shield his child from the genetic condition.
Couple's Religious Convictions Led to Risky Decision
The father, who shared his story on social media, explained that he and his wife discovered they were both AS carriers before marriage. He said they dated for three years and deliberately avoided sex and even kissing, driven by their religious beliefs. They were deeply committed to their faith, he noted, and believed their obedience and prayers would protect them from having a child with sickle cell disease.
Despite these precautions, the couple eventually had a daughter who was born with sickle cell disease. The father said watching his daughter endure a painful crisis forced him to confront the decision he had made years earlier. He admitted that he had previously seen videos of his wife and children going to the hospital during his daughter’s crises but had not fully grasped the severity because he was not always physically present.
Father's Emotional Confession Sparks Online Debate
In the video, the father said, “Why is she a sickle-cell patient? Because of my mistake, a foolish mistake.” He described being with his family in Nigeria and witnessing his daughter’s crisis firsthand, which left him unable to sleep. “I couldn't sleep throughout last night,” he said, explaining that his daughter was experiencing a sickle cell crisis at the time. He also noted that his daughter had consumed something she was not supposed to eat or drink, which he believed contributed to the crisis.
The father admitted that he had prayed and fasted, believing that his faithfulness to God would spare his child from the genetic outcome. “I felt like, even though we discovered that we are both [AS], I'm so faithful to God that God will not allow me to give birth to a child who is sick,” he said. He now sees that decision differently. “It is not that God refused to answer me. No, it was foolishness,” he argued, stressing that faith should not replace an understanding of biology and the risks involved.
Understanding the Genetic Risks of AS-AS Couples
For couples planning to have children, the AS genotype is significant because when both partners are carriers, each pregnancy has a 25% chance of producing a child with sickle cell disease, a 50% chance of producing a child with the AS trait, and a 25% chance of producing a child without the trait. These probabilities apply to each pregnancy independently, so not every AS-AS couple will have a child with sickle cell disease.
Sickle cell disease is an inherited blood disorder that can cause episodes of severe pain, anaemia, infections, and other complications. A sickle cell crisis can require urgent medical attention, depending on its severity. The father’s story has revived an important conversation in Nigeria, where sickle cell remains a major public health concern.
His comments have sparked debate online, with some praising his honesty and others criticising his decision to ignore a known genetic risk. The father’s final message to others considering a similar decision was simple: “Don't do it.” For him, the warning comes from a deeply personal place, as he watches his child suffer from a condition he could have avoided by taking the information he already had more seriously.
