The moving story of a man who has vowed to never leave his wife’s side over her mental illness

Emmanuel has stayed by the side of his mentally-challenged wife, at a prayer camp, for 6 years

The confessions of Christian Volotu, a physician assistant with the Ghana Health Service, puts the story in the right perspective: “In fact, all the cases I have seen when the women got sick, the men have left; they’ve all left, but to hear that someone has stuck to his wife in this state for 6 years, and resisting all the temptations to go outside, is a beautiful story.”

And that is the moving and deeply romantic story of Emmanuel and Afia, who has been diagnosed with schizophrenia and has been living in a prayer camp, chained and undergoing treatment all this while.

But their story has gained some national interest after TV3’s Portia Gabor visited the Yorkitikpo community to hear their story.

And as the narration went, their present predicament in life started after what was supposed to be a big blessing and a new addition to their family; the unsuccessful birth of their child.

“It all started after she gave birth to their daughter, a child who is now deceased,” the journalist said in her report, even as Emmanuel, a man beaming with hope and a visible smile mostly, recalled their story to her.

He explained that after his wife went the childbirth, she went to live with her parents but not long after, he was informed that she had gone missing.

When she returned, Emmanuel said he noticed she was behaving differently, speaking in an incoherent manner.

And so they sought help for her at the Pantang Hospital during the COVID-19 era, making the kind of medical attention they got very minimal, leading to them camping at a prayer camp.

“I attend church with her and I have learnt in church that we should love our neighbours as ourselves. It’s my duty to take care of her and I am hopeful that one day, her condition will get better and that God will heal her,” Emmanuel confesses.

But the journey of staying by Afia, his wife’s side, has not been so easy, yet he is determined never to abandon her.

He explained that when they first got to the prayer camp, they showed up with some of his wife’s family members but all of them have since left, leaving him alone to cater for her.

“I will never leave her side until death do us part,” Emmanuel reaffirms.

Watch the full video below:

AE