The Death of Baby Isaac (From Mr NANA, Provincial High School of Kaya)

Earlier this year, baby Isaac Koutou died a horrifying death under the anxious gaze of his parents, in their home. Their love and prayers were not enough to save the four-year-old baby from falling victim to a needless epidemic.
Isaac became the first baby to die from whooping cough in the state of Manegtenga for three years.
The reason: his parents, both members of the “God Believers” Community, reject vaccinations and drugs.
For the “God Believes”, polio, diphtheria, tetanus and even measles are potential killers. Yet, in this idyllic rural community, where people travel by horse the reality last spring was that a whooping cough epidemic was threatening the lives of 60 or more children in the “God Believers” Community.
The news of Isaac’s death spread rapidly around the State.
Incredibly, his mother Mary was devastated, but expressed no regret. When I visited her in her house, she seemed to be coming from another Century: she had old dresses and shoes.
Her hair was tucked up under a white cap. Why, I asked her, had she refused the antibiotics that might have saved the baby? She answered in a toneless voice: “There is a higher force that takes care of life. We believe that what happened was God’s will. We are not like you People. We don’t want poisons put into our bodies by doctors. This has not changed my mind. My other children will not be vaccinated.”

Vocabulary

Anxious gaze: regard anxieux ;
A needless epidemic : An epidemic we don’t need.
Whooping cough : coqueluche
Measles : rougeole
To be tucked up : être bordé;
To threaten : to menace