James Emina, an auto mechanic from Calabar Municipality, has shared the heart-wrenching story of his struggles after his wife, who developed severe mental health issues, left him with their 7-month-old daughter.
Life has been a series of challenges for James, who now balances his work at the workshop with taking care of his infant daughter.
According to James, his wife’s mental health began to deteriorate shortly after she gave birth.
She started exhibiting strange behaviors that eventually led her to leave their home and move to Ikono, Akwa Ibom state, where she is currently staying with her family. James emphasized that their separation was not due to marital discord but solely because of her psychiatric challenges.
The young mechanic expressed his deep desire to reunite with his wife and get her the medical attention she desperately needs.
However, his financial constraints have made it impossible for him to afford the necessary psychiatric care. “There’s no money to run all these. I went there, and they were calling money also,” James lamented, highlighting the economic barriers to mental health treatment.
James’s situation has forced him to bring his daughter to his workshop daily as he cannot afford to enroll her in a children’s creche.
“I was trying to look for a creche, but I don’t have much money. I would have taken her to creche but have no money to pay,” he said. This setup, while challenging, is his only option to ensure his daughter’s safety and care while he works to provide for them.
