For weeks, Mrs Catherine Ugema did not know the whereabouts of her nine-month-old son after a devastating road accident in the Ugwu Onyeama axis of Enugu State separated them.

On Tuesday July 14, however, the Benue State trader’s ordeal came to a joyful end as she was reunited with the child following coordinated efforts by the Enugu State Government, the Custos Care Foundation and other partners.

Ugema, a native of Taraku community in Gwer East Local Government Area of Benue State, was travelling to Aba, Abia State with her son, Tomuter Ugema, on June 23 to sell food items when the commercial vehicle conveying them was involved in a crash.

The accident left many passengers injured, while Ugema reportedly lost consciousness. In the ensuing confusion, mother and child became separated.

Unknown to her, the infant, who sustained serious injuries in the accident, had been rescued by a Good Samaritan and rushed to the Children’s Emergency Unit of ESUT Parklane Teaching Hospital, Enugu, for urgent medical treatment.

As the child’s condition required intensive care, the Head of the Children’s Emergency Unit, Dr Chiesonu Nzeduba, appealed for public assistance.

The appeal attracted the intervention of the Enugu State Government and the wife of the governor, Mrs Nkechinyere Mbah, who provided support for the child’s treatment and welfare.

The Custos Care Foundation subsequently joined forces with the Peter Mbah Foundation, the Enugu State Ministry of Children, Gender Affairs and Social Development, the Children’s Emergency Unit of ESUT Parklane Teaching Hospital and the Enugu State Management Board for the Protection of State-Owned Social Homes (EMBOPSS) to ensure the child received comprehensive care.

Interventions included blood transfusions, surgery and other life-saving medical procedures that aided the child’s recovery.

The foundation also provided baby items, welfare support and relief materials to cater for the infant’s needs during treatment and rehabilitation.

After his discharge from the hospital, the baby was transferred to EMBOPSS, where he continued his recovery in a safe and supportive environment while efforts intensified to trace his family.

Following weeks of investigation and collaboration among government agencies, healthcare workers, social welfare officials and security personnel, the child’s mother was eventually located.

The successful tracing of Ugema paved the way for an emotional reunion that brought relief to the family and all those involved in the rescue effort.

The handover ceremony was witnessed by the child’s uncle, Gregory Aswa, an officer of the Enugu State Driver’s Rescue Service (DRS), and the investigating police officer handling the case at the State Traffic Office, Abakpa Junction, Inspector Ugwuanyi Cecelia.

Speaking after receiving her son, an emotional Ugema expressed profound gratitude to the Enugu State Government, Mrs Nkechinyere Mbah, the Good Samaritan who rescued the child, the Custos Care Foundation, medical personnel and other individuals whose interventions saved her son’s life and made the reunion possible.

She described the reunion as a moment of immense joy after weeks of uncertainty and anguish over the fate of her missing child. (The Nation)

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