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YOUR DADDY IS YOUR DADDY BUT YOUR DADDY DON’T KNOW!

/ Motunde Dada / 2 Comments

I bet you are thinking, this must be about a guy who birthed a child unbeknown to him. Guess what…you are wrong! Ever heard about the condition – Chimerism? Well, we will delve into that in a bit.

Sometime in October 2024, I did a piece titled “THIS DNA TEST” and received a comment that prompted me to research the condition referred to as Chimerism. Below are excerpts from an article found on The Royal Institution website – https://www. rigb.org titled – Human Chimeras: Why forensic DNA testing will never be the same.

Human chimeras are individuals that contain two different types of DNA and are named after the mythical creature made up of different animals including a lion and a goat. People can get a second set of DNA primarily in three ways : in the womb, through transplants, or when they are pregnant. 

CHIMERISM IN THE WOMB

Chimerism may result when a twin pregnancy exists, but one embryo dies and the survivor absorbs some of its twin’s cells thus exhibiting 2 sets of DNA. This was the case with Dubem who had a son outside wedlock. His wife however challenged his paternity because he was known to have low sperm count. To further complicate issues, the result of the Paternity test was negative. Muinat, the mother of the child was however convinced of the paternity and after Dubem was further tested, he was found to be a Chimera. He had actually fathered the boy.

This type of chimerism can result in failed maternity or paternity tests. For example, Karen Keegan needed a kidney transplant and family members’ blood was tested to see if they could be donors. The tests showed she wasn’t the biological mother of two of her three children—surprising since she’d given birth to them! Further studies showed that some of her tissue contained two different types of DNA. The type in her blood was different from the DNA two of her children inherited. This other DNA came from her deceased twin in the womb, so she was genetically her children’s aunt.  

CHIMERISM THROUGH TRANSPLANTS.

Chimerism can also occur through stem cell transplants.

For example, Chris Long received a bone marrow transplant as part of his treatment for leukaemia. Three months later, he learned that the DNA in his blood was no longer his. Chris continued testing other parts of his body. Four years later, swabs of his mouth contained both his and the donor’s DNA, whilst his semen only contained the donor’s DNA. 

DNA EXCHANGED FROM BABY TO MOTHER

A less dramatic form of chimerism occurs during pregnancy where foetal cells are transferred to the mother and can stay in the body for years. This is known as micro-chimerism, due to the low levels of foetal DNA in the mother. Research suggests this happens to all pregnant women. The simplest way to test for it is by searching for the Y chromosome in women who have given birth to sons. Micro-chimerism occurs during every pregnancy. In 2012 scientists found evidence of the Y chromosome in all 26 women sampled who had just given birth to a boy. 

CONSEQUENCES ON FORENSICS

After a car accident in 2008 police were trying to identify a body with blood and kidney tissue samples. The blood was determined to come from a woman and the kidney from a man, but there was only one person in the accident. This confusion was because the man in the accident had received a stem cell transplant from his daughter and his blood now contained her DNA.  

Also, during a sexual assault investigation in 2005, police collected semen samples which had a match in the DNA database. However, the suspect had a watertight alibi, being in jail at the time of the crime. The true perpetrator was chimeric, the incarcerated suspect had donated bone marrow years earlier. Therefore, when the chimeric perpetrator committed the crime, his semen contained DNA from someone else not at the scene. 

It is however hoped that with increasingly sophisticated equipment and testing methods, the error margins on DNA testing will be eliminated.

Love

Havilah

BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP

/ Motunde Dada / 2 Comments

As Warami read the posts on her social media, she came upon the information that Donald Trump intends to do away with Birthright Citizenship, otherwise referred to as “JUS SOLI.”  Warami’s heart skipped a beat as she pondered her fate. She was now six months pregnant and had arranged with her eldest sister – Alero, to have her baby in the United States in the first quarter of next year, with expectations that the child would automatically acquire American citizenship and the attendant right of an American. All medical arrangements had been concluded and even though the financial implication was heavy, she had adjudged it worthwhile. Now, she was unsure of whether to cancel the plans or to go along and keep her fingers crossed.

What exactly is birthright citizenship? It is a legal principle that entitles babies born within the boundaries of a country to be automatically awarded citizenship of that country. A number of countries in the western hemisphere actually operate this principle although with some modifications as to other requirements in addition to the fact of birth. In the USA, this principle was adopted under the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution in 1868 and has remained in force since then.

For a lot of parents from Developing countries, the opportunities inherent in having citizenship of a country that boasts rights and privileges, improved education, healthcare and social services are tempting, resulting in the development of “Birth Tourism” whereby, parents like Warami, visit the country, purely for the purpose of birthing their child there. Since 2020, the USA had stopped granting tourist visas to persons suspected to be visiting the country for such purpose. It therefore comes as no surprise that the stoppage of birthright citizenship forms a core part of the Trump agenda on immigration. The big question however is whether he can succeed in taking away birthright citizenship or better still, how easy would it be for him to achieve this?

My thoughts are that stoppage is achievable although it may not be an easy procedure. For it to gain acceptability, it would be easier to amend the provision rather than expunge it. For instance, the provision of the Constitution can be amended to include other prior or surrounding conditions, such as that the mother must have been resident in the USA for a minimum number of years, etc. Any amendment to the Constitution would require a two-thirds vote in both the House and Senate along with the ratification of three-quarters of the states. Consequently, I do not expect that this will be quickly resolved although, given the current global emphasis on immigration laws, it is only a matter of time before there will be restrictions placed on birthright citizenship, globally.

For countries that do not allow dual citizenship, children birthed in the USA or other countries may be forced to forfeit their paternal country with dire consequences, especially for Government or political appointments. Also, USA tax laws are based on citizenship not residency which means that wherever the citizen is located or resident, his taxes will be repatriated back to the USA.

Havilah therefore advises intending parents to look before they leap as the immigration dynamics in most Western countries are changing and they need to make informed decisions especially as they relate to their offspring.

Love

Havilah

CEREBRAL PALSY, A CONSEQUENCE?

/ Motunde Dada / Leave a comment

Maudline dropped off her three children – Gbebe and the twins – at a colleague’s daughter’s tenth birthday party and made a quick dash to the supermarket and squeezed in a hospital visit before returning to the party. In her absence, she could trust Gbebe who was twelve, to keep a watchful eye over her twin girls – Gbayike  and Romoke. Despite Gbebe’s challenges, he was such a darling and very protective of his sisters. He had good communication with them, and they bonded very well together.

First, a little background about Gbebe. Gbebe was born with cerebral palsy at birth after prolonged labour, hence his name which means God heard our plea. His palsy affected his speech, limbs and level of understanding but Maudline had put in a lot of effort to bring him to par with his peers and even much more so with his siblings. He could take care of his personal hygiene and feed himself although his feeding habits were a little sloppy for his age.

At the party, Gbebe had been served with his food and had fed himself. Thereafter, his sisters had ignored the mess and tried to clean him up as best as they could, all the time conversing and laughing with him. Suddenly, they were approached by a girl named Susan,  who walked up to them and asked pointedly “he looks like you both, is he your brother? The twins responded with a nod and a smile and tried to introduce her to Gbebe, but Susan shrank away and quickly, withdrew her hand. She asked blatantly, “why did you bring him along to the party? My cousin has a brother like him, and they all leave him at home when they go out. In fact, if you have never visited their home, you wouldn’t know about him because he is always locked up at home. They say he is very aggressive.

Just then, Maudline arrived to pick up her three jewels (as she often referred to them). On the way home, the twins related their experience with Susan and Maudline immediately counselled the children as follows: “Do not be upset with Sue, she does not know better, and her cousin’s parents have not helped matters. Would she like to be locked up at home and treated like an outcast – I am sure the answer is no. Such treatment can arouse aggression in anybody. We tend to forget that created us all differently according to purpose. You know Gbebe is gifted with playing the drums and guitar and recently won a medal in paracycling. He can also do several other things because we shower him with love and have never given up on him. He was not treated differently from you and displays a high level of independence.”

When Maudline retired to her room, she discussed the event with her husband, Chike, and they agreed to start an enlightenment campaign on Cerebral Palsy by destroying the myths and explaining the facts.

Excerpts from her first article are contained below:

Cerebral Palsy is a condition marked by impaired muscle co-ordination and /or other disabilities and is typically a result of damage to the brain before or at birth. It therefore follows that neither the child nor the parents are responsible for the condition. When we consider that every child is a gift from God, we realise that we should be grateful to God for his gift. He has a purpose for the gift, and it is the responsibility of every parent to help their child realise their God given purpose in life. This can only be done through love and encouragement. Every child thrives in an environment of love which boosts their self confidence and love for humanity. The home must be a haven where they recover from the taunting and daunting challenges they face outside.

As a proud mother of a son with palsy, I can say it takes patience and understanding to help them navigate the challenges they face, but it is filled with gains when you find them achieving the purpose of their creation. They should not elicit shame, pity or embarrassment but rather, God’s name should be glorified.

Psalm 104:25-4-25 reads ” How many are your works, Lord! In wisdom you made them ALL.”

Havilah believes the world would be a better place if we learn to be more accommodating of people with disabilities and treat them with love. We should also teach our children to treat them with respect, dignity and love because, we are all God’s creation.

Love

Havilah

CRUSHING ON YOUR MENTOR/MENTEE

/ Motunde Dada / 1 Comment

Have you ever wondered why people have a crush on others? That fleeting infatuation which seldom develops into true love. One doesn’t usually have control over who one grows soft on. It often defies logic. Sometimes it is bizarre especially when it involves blood relations, leading to incest as even captured by some incidents in some religious books. There is no rule of thumb as to who first develops the infatuation, especially in a mentor/mentee relationship which will be our focus today.

Temilade, a tall fair-skinned science student in her secondary school days, could be described as ‘beauty and brains’. Adamu, a graduate of engineering was posted to her school to serve his national service as a Mathematics teacher. Mathematics though considered a difficult subject by many students, happened to be Temilade’s favorite subject and she easily excelled in Adamu’s quizzes.

Back in the school hostel, many of her classmates often teased her, with insinuations that teacher Adamu, the youth corper, had a soft spot for her. Temilade always negated the possibility saying the relationship was strictly that of teacher/student. “How many subject teachers would be having interest in me, if class participation would be the yardstick?” she often countered, which left her accusers speechless. In the absence of proof of any relationship between them, the teasing stopped.

Years after leaving school, Temilade’s mind would often drift to Adamu, not sure if she had had a crush on him. She remembered the racing of her heartbeat whenever he called on her for answers and how she had always wanted to appear neat to his class. Had he felt anything for her? She often just sighed, realizing she may never have an answer to that.

Tony was a computer teacher in the Community Secondary School. He was young and handsome. As ICT was a relatively new area of study in the community, several students, both male and flocked around him to learn something new, and he helped many of them to open mail addresses free of charge which they would have had to pay for in the local cybercafe. Tony had a personal laptop which aided his productivity, as it helped him in doing artwork designs for many subjects.

Tina was in the Commercial class and often sought the assistance of Tony the computer teacher to do her designs as she was interested in fashion design. Tony was quite helpful and often thought Tina had an unusual sense of entrepreneurial spirit, so he was always willing to render her assistance, using the Corel Draw application.

Tony started growing soft on Tina but was guided by the strict rules on teacher/student relationships, so held back. Luckily, he got a job in an ICT company in the city, and he and Tina lost touch for a long time.

Interestingly, Tony and Tina’s paths crossed once again during a trade fair in the capital city where Tony was the ICT consultant to fix the Wi-Fi connection for all participating companies. There, he saw Tina, who was showcasing her line of designer outfits at the trade fair. They had both had a teacher/student relationship whereby as a computer teacher Tony had assisted Tina with her designs as a fashion designer in training. Tony had considered her potential for entrepreneurship and developed an interest in her. Over time, he had been drawn to her but had stopped. Now, fate had brought them together again and they decided to catch up on the story of their lives as they sat down to lunch at one of the eateries at the fair.

During their conversation, Tina chuckled and said, “Sir, would you be surprised if I told you I had a crush on you while in school? It took a while before I outgrew it.”Tony’s eyes widened as he replied “I guess it was mutual. I confess I felt the same way, but I could not violate the rules on the teacher/student relationship. Well, it wasn’t meant to be as we are now both happily married. Tina’s response was “I thank God for His grace. One can’t have everything one desires.”

Love, ID

On behalf of Havilah