Girl with the s-shaped spine

Peter Wanyoike father to Nicolina Njeri holds his daughter to show at their Thika home. ON 27/04/2019(Jenipher Wachie, Standard)

Nicolina Njeri, 6, when aiming to shock, will contort her long limbs so her legs touch the back of her head with ease. The bubbly little girl has known so much pain, thanks to a malformation of her spine. Her father Peter Nyoike narrates.

Nicolina weighed only 2.4 kg when she was born in October 2011. We thought the weight was something we could easily manage with supplements. But six months later, she had barely added any more weight. After we introduced her to other meals six months later, we noticed she ate very little. She also started developing a very fast heart rate. Sometimes, she would convulse and on taking her to the hospital, she would be diagnosed with chest infections. As Nicolina turned three, we were worried that she had not started walking. Nurses at the hospital also thought that she was too tall. Her toes were especially very long and they suspected her tall frame and her weak legs were responsible for her delayed walking. They recommended an X-ray which revealed that her spine was slightly bent. This discovery was, however, dismissed as the medics thought it could be due to her sleeping position when performing the procedure. Doctors prescribed antibiotics and we were well on our way.