Accused Of Witchcraft Because Of Vitamin Deficiency

The family does not want anything to do with the young boy and his mother, who wouldn’t abandon him because of his current condition. Recalling the pain of her childbirth, what worse could have happened to her? Whilst the mother and child live on the outskirts of town, it is almost as if they have been excommunicated from the communion that has bound the people for centuries now.

There goes the story in the little town that has both the look of a traditional countryside and a world that is moving in a high space according to the dictates of information technology and artificial intelligence. It therefore sprang up from ideological tension. Do we embrace the new world or hold on firmly to the nostalgic ideas we think assure our identity?

The tension meandered its way, affecting the people’s concept of life and how they see through every issue, from the kind of food one must eat to how they understand health and life after death: their entire way of life. In the worldview of the people, the struggle is real; there is a tug-of-war between the old and new.

But who will adjudicate in any hearing to prove the veracity, or otherwise, of life’s happenings? Amidst the search for answers, the boy began showing signs that could not be explained. To some people, he has been possessed by an evil spirit, which includes witchcraft. Still, others believe that his lineage has wronged the gods, so he was struck with abnormality as punishment.

He was all well, hale and hearty until the nightmare showed its ugly face. It was as if something that had been hidden in him suddenly sprang out from the recesses of his being. The sudden changes have been interpreted by traditional folk as paranormal.

Certain dark spots began to appear on his skin, darker than his usual complexion. It wasn’t only the dark patches; pale spots emerged on his skin as if those spots were remnants of a burnt accident. It did not end there. It was as if he had been smeared with turmeric or had drunk a yellow potion that was forcing its way out of his eyes.

His tongue became shiny, reddish, and enlarged. When he talked, he slipped as if to keep his tongue from suffering pain. He always appeared weak and fatigued, as if he had been denied sleep for several days. He became clumsy and moved in an uncoordinated way, with difficulty in keeping his balance. When he was given an instruction or information, a few seconds later, he appeared not to remember. Sometimes, it seemed he was not aware of his surroundings, but rather in his own world. He demonstrated agitation on several occasions.

The town folk could not explain away this bizarre occurrence. They resorted to traditional medicine, which was accompanied by divination, to diagnose and prognosticate. A supernatural explanation was given. This exposed the boy to maltreatment. He was not liked. No one wanted to go close to him. He became a rejected son of the land. He was accused of being possessed by witchcraft.

Meanwhile, this is a town in tension with scientific advancement and traditional knowledge systems. After months of this dark time in the young life of the lad, he was driven by the town Commissioner of Health to the district center to see a medical doctor. The Commissioner was a good Samaritan, it seems; however, he feared to come close to the boy. He was wrapped in a triple layer of cloths, and the mother was tasked with holding him in her arms but not to put him on any of the car seats, as they journeyed to the health facility.

After two days of running several medical tests, the boy was diagnosed with Vitamin B12 deficiency. All those signs that suddenly emerged from nowhere were explained. However, the boy had suffered a lot of abuse already. His mother had been shedding tears for several months. She felt more sorrowful than when her husband passed away a year earlier.

This is the tension we find ourselves in our part of the world today. Amidst advancements in the medical sciences, there still linger some ideologies that expose innocent people to maltreatment by traditional thinkers and spiritual leaders who claim to have the antidote to the unexplained phenomena that some people suffer. Health issues become important in this light.

Considering the behavior changes that the little boy demonstrated and the bodily markers, traditional knowledge systems may associate those with spiritual sources. Many people around the world have been accused of witchcraft, and their human rights have been curtailed. It is happening in our own backyard. There are many medical conditions, like vitamin B12 deficiency, that have neurological presentations. Neurological conditions are among the leading conditions that are given a spiritual etiology. Society must speak against this. We must build more progressive communities.