IGE, the special child

The Lord almighty is truly the good Shepherd and the protector of His children. Within the grips of His mighty hands He has each and everyone of us regardless of whatever we may go through in life.

Ige is the name given to breech babies as a special name to recognise the circumstances of their birth in Yorubaland. The Yoruba also have special lyrics composed to honour their uniqueness having come to the world with legs or buttocks first.

I was born a breech baby. In the process of birth the doctors realised that my legs were positioned wrongly in the birth canal. It was soon apparent that I was going to be born via a complex birth. (This would prove only the beginning of my odyssey with the National Health Service (NHS) from 1965 to 1969).

As time went on, my left leg stuck out of the birth canal whilst the rest of my body was awkwardly trapped in the canal.

Every effort to manoeuvre around this failed and mother got weaker by the hour. Doctors informed daddy that there were complications with the labour, and that both baby and mother were getting exhausted. Mother began to fade as she bled rapidly. The doctors shared their proposed plan of action and the potential consequences it could have on the baby moving forward.

God was kind to my parents. Although mother had a near death experience, she eventually had a safe delivery. By the time I finally emerged, I was hardly breathing. The left side of my body was limp from neck to waist; my right leg was noticeably affected from the thigh down as a result of the prolonged labour that had just transpired. It was indeed a traumatic entrance into life.

After birth, I was given a 50-50 chance to live beyond a month. Glory be to God, I am gradually approaching my 56th birthday!

Despite the slight deformity and weakness of my right leg, amazingly I played football during my primary and secondary school days, and in local leagues in Nigeria. Upon my return to the United Kingdom in 1988, I played football at different levels. Now old age has gradually set in so I have hanged up my boots. I have retired to cheerleader status of my beloved Arsenal football club.

I am really the original IGE! God is so interested in us, IGEs that we had to make unique entrance into the planet. We face many challenges but eventually we overcome them. The call of God is upon our lives: don’t under estimate the IGEs.

The Yoruba ORIKI (lyrics) dedicated to all IGEs:

“Ige Adubi, Agbolenu bu agogo
Omo onigba irawo
B’iya le ku, ko ku
Bi Baba le lo, ko maa lo
Elegede nbe loko, Gboro nbe laatan
Ohun Ige Adubi yoo je ko ni i won-on
Ige Adubi ko roju iya, Oju Baba Ige Adubi nro
Ige iba roju iya re, ki ba ti Kese sita
Eni be Ige Adubi nise, ara re lo be
Edumare da won si fun wa”!

I am immensely grateful to you mighty Father for being with me from the outset and clearly to the very end of age. I constantly glorify God for sparing my life. He is truly the author and finisher of our Faith.

God, you’re awesome beyond description and (my) comprehension.

Israel Ayodele E. A. Lazarus Oshunremi
Bachelor of Arts, Honours In Education and Community Studies, UEL
Mentor/Motivational Speaker

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