Soursop Tea: Cancer Killer or Baby Killer..... A story from Antigua

Many of us, at one time or the other must have come across the story that soursop is a very powerful cancer killer. They say it was discovered but big pharmaceutical companies are not ready to sponsor its production as a drug. That was because they already spent huge sums of money on cancer drugs that are in the market today. Some people have therefore turned to soursop as a medicine of last resort both for treatment of cancer and for prevention in general. It is even used as a tonic. However, like all herbal medications, the benefits are definitely modulated by some unknown side effects. Some women claimed that after they were diagnosed with breast cancer, they had successfully
reduced the rate of spread of the cancer by eating soursop, exercising, avoiding dairy products and refined sugar, praying and having a positive attitude.

It is strange how some people decide to have children first and then marry, while others wait to marry before having children. There was a man named Leroy who was a Rastafarian in full locks. He was only 28 years old and already had 4 children in his home country Grenada. He had to migrate to Antigua, to make more money and be a father to his children from different mothers. It is true that the Bible used the word 'multiply' but by the time you start paying child support, multiply will turn to 'divide'. Leroy was originally employed as a construction worker at the site of a new hotel in Antigua. With the spate of construction activities abated in Antigua, Leroy's company was awarded a short term contract on a nearby island for one month. That one month passed quickly and all the construction workers returned to their base.

One Friday evening a few months later, Leroy was in front of his one bedroom apartment playing reggae music while peeling sugarcane. A well dressed young woman suddenly arrived majestically at his front door. Martha was all smiles when she sighted Leroy. To her it was an eureka moment because she thought she could locate any address on this planet. Leroy was stunned. He carefully stood up and blocked the entrance to his apartment. He asked in annoyance.

"What are you doing here? What is that your name?"

While bouncing around, Martha replied "It's me Martha. Surprise suprise!"

Leroy was speechless. Martha pushed him out of the way as she stepped into the apartment to look around, but not before she rebuked him.

"Stop frowning at me like a hungry dog. For your information, we are having a baby."

"A baby with who? Just like that?"

"Just the way I wanted it, a baby with a smart reasonable guy with no strings attached."

"No strings attached?" Leroy repeated and burst out in a sarcastic laughter.

"That is what I said. No strings attached. I have my money and I needed a child. I am not asking you for any child support. In fact I am ready to support you if there is a need for that."

Leroy obviously liked the last part of her sentence but not for long. He replied, 

"children are the strongest strings I have seen in this world that can bind two people together. I have been fooled many times already."

"It is up to you whether you want a relationship or not but I want this child" Martha said as she settled herself down in Leroy's apartment. “Rasta, this house is not as bad as the picture you painted to me. It is a small heaven."

Leroy tried to rationalize the situation: what is the difference between 4 children and 5 children? Later that evening, he called one of his baby mothers residing in Grenada who was his confidant. He revealed his predicament to her and got some advice. The next morning, he came home with some leaves and started preparing herbal tea twice a day for Martha. He supervised the drinking of the tea and explained to Martha that it was a tonic for blood-building during pregnancy. When Martha insisted on seeing the leaves he readily showed her. It was soursop-leaf tea. It is used to cure cancer.

After 3 days of drinking the soursop tea, Martha started bleeding. By the fifth day of taking the tea, she did not only see blood, her belly was also hurting uncontrollably. Leroy gave her more of the tea and left for work. At work he switched off his phone. When Martha could not bear the pain, she called a Taxi that took her to the Hospital where she received treatment. An ultrasound was done which showed that the baby was doing well. In the course of asking routine questions, Martha revealed to the doctor that she had been drinking soursop tea as a blood tonic. 

A nurse standing nearby was shocked. 

"That is one of the herbs they use to remove unwanted babies in Grenada."

When Martha heard those words, she was furious. However she partly blamed herself. She called Leroy's phone several times but to no avail. Soon she got a text message from Leroy:

"Don't do anything stupid until I see you this evening after work. I am sending a taxi man to come and take you home when they discharge you."

" Which home?" Martha replied. "I am going back to my mother's house this very moment. It was a pleasure meeting you."