Friends and loved ones beat the drums for Mr. Innocent and Mrs. Onyiyechi Ezennia, who had quadruplets after 13 years of marriage thanks to In Vitro Fertility (IVF).
Screams of delight and fervent praises boomed in and out of the hall of the Assemblies of God Church Isolo 1 in the Isolo district of Lagos State during the church dedication of the babies in February.
With harmonized singing, current instrumentals, and excellent jigs and twists, you could sense there was a great force changing the vibe.
It was the first problem for the Ezennia family, who had been waiting for 13 years due to an inexplicable fertility problem.
âGod has been merciful to us.â âAll glory to God,â he said, quoting First Samuel chapter one verse 27 of the Bible. âWe have a God who listens to our requests. âI thank God for not forcing me to deviate,â said Frances Chidi Okeremgbo, the churchâs retiring pastor.
Okeremgbo, who served in the ministry for 47 years before retiring, advised the couple to stay strong in their faith and pass it on to their đ€đ©đȘđđ„ren.
Mr. Ezennia expressed thankfulness to God for his pioneering testimony, saying, âIf not for my faith, belief, and understanding, I would have made a mistake.â
âI trusted God, who had promised to give me a đ€đ©đȘđđ„. Even when so many people, including my wife, put pressure on me.â
In an interview, the wife recounted her story and the numerous contradicting advice she received as a result of her đ€đ©đȘđđ„less status.
âWeâve been waiting on the Lord for the past 13 years,â she explained. We married in 2008, so weâve been waiting on the Lord since then till last year, and it hasnât been easy.
âGod willing, my family and my husbandâs family are both Christians.â So the pressure was coming from peer groups and friends rather than them. People would look at you as if you werenât doing enough or werenât doing what you were expected to do, as if you could simply open your hands and grab a đ€đ©đȘđđ„.â
She recalled how many recommendations she received from friends, including quarries. âThere was a time when someone suggested I follow her to see a prophet, and this prophet will pray for you and youâll receive a miracle, and sometimes theyâll say letâs go to this vigil, or thereâs this doctor or this woman in this state.â
She couldnât stop thanking God after she had traveled the many pathways she had been introduced to â doctors, prophets, and the use of traditional pharmaceuticals and other drugs.
Onyiyechi, a seamstress, detailed the total naira spent throughout their desperate search for a cure. âWe cannot account for the money spent.â We were agitated. The restlessness was intense, especially since we werenât getting pressure from my mother or mother-in-law, but rather from peer groups and friends.â
Despite the menâs advice and no progress, the pair persisted until they reached their goal â assisted reproduction.
âYes, I was given the option of pursuing IVF or adoption, among other medical advice.â âHowever, I chose IVF,â she revealed.
Despite how reassuring IVF can be, the first-time mother said the doctor who treated them said it was only a 40% success rate. That, she said, was far from encouraging. âIt wasnât encouraging, even though we went for it, believing God would see us through.â
With her bundle of joy in her hands and her story on her lips, Onyiyechi comforted other couples who were still waiting. âDonât give up hope. Continue to press on. Continue to pray because all of these things are still intertwined.
âToday,â she shouted, âIâm very ecstatic; itâs a dream come true.â Beginning with the hospital, because they were in incubators for a while, God has been assisting us financially to meet their requirements.â
SoÏ rce: cafef