Philipa Baafi Loses Triplets

Popular gospel musician Philipa Baafi who was reported to have successfully delivered a set of triplets somewhere in 2008, lost all three new-born babies a few months after delivery, peacefmonline.com gathers.

The thick lipped gospel singer known for her hit song “Go High” which was adopted by the then ruling New Patriotic Party as their campaign song and whose popularity hit higher levels during the CAN 2008 tournament hosted in Ghana, made the shocking revelation in an exclusive interview during Kwasi Aboagye’s “Gospel Hour” programme on Peace FM last Sunday, April 3, 2011.

Philipa, who was in tears, recounted in a faltering voice that the sad incident occurred some three years ago, but she kept the information away from family members, friends and the media, because she did not know how to break the news to Ghanaians considering how everybody had expressed joy upon hearing the birth of the kids.

Coincidentally, last Sunday happened to be exactly three years since the death of the triplets, and Philipa, who could not keep secret the heart-breaking news any longer, had no option than to off-load her pain and rid herself of the heaviness in her heart by publicly sharing the rather shattering information.

Philipa Baafi’s husband, Mr. Kwame Karikari, confirmed the news on Peace FM’s “Entertainment Review” yesterday, Thursday April 7, and gave a vivid explanation as to how it really happened. He disclosed that the triplets (two boys and one girl) were born in Maryland, United States of America.

“It's a very sad news but all these years, we kept it to ourselves. Aside our pastor and one family member, nobody knew about it...It is true my wife gave birth to a set of triplets and everybody was happy for us...but about four months after their birth, they were afflicted by some debilitating sickness...They became very sick and we had to take them to an intensive care unit. They were put under observation in an incubator for over two months, but they were still not responding to treatment, so the doctors in charge advised us that should they survive, there will be a lot of complications,” he said.

He revealed that aside some severe heart related problems, their brains could also not develop well.

"...They were taken out of the incubator to see if they might survive, but unfortunately death laid its icy hands on them and they all died together," he stated.

Mr Karikari explained that they did not know how to publicly break the unfortunate news to Ghanaians and turned the joy of all those who were happy on the news of the babies birth to sadness. He added that what made matters worse was that anytime they tried to tell family members, especially their in-laws the sad news, before they even open their mouths to speak, they will be met with several questions on how the children were doing.

“It was simply difficult for us to tell anyone," he added.

"People kept asking for their pictures and how old they were but we always told them it would all come out in God’s own time. So after three years we thought it was just right for Ghanaians and the world to know what really happened,”.

Asked whether they have regretted coming out with the news, Mr Karikari said “We have not regretted whatsoever, and we don’t see it as a burden. We just want people to know the truth and know what really happened”.

Interestingly, he said, the sad news about the kids demise have been met with mixed feelings by friends and family members alike.

“Some of my friends look at me in a certain way and say I must be very wicked to keep such a serious matter to myself all this while and others sympathize with me when they meet me or my wife,” he disclosed.

"Philipa was very moody on Sunday after she broke the news on Peace FM, but currently, she is doing good...as lots and lots of people keep calling to sympathize with her and encourage her,".

However, God has blessed the family with a new bouncy baby girl, who according to her husband, looks very much like the only girl who was among the triplets.

The renowned gospel singer has compiled her bitter experience in a song on her latest album titled: “Nea eba wonsem afi yi, so sen nea efri wonsa” (meaning: What you will have this year will be more than what you lost).

Philipa Baafi, aside being a great gospel musician with a powerful voice, doubles as a beauty therapist.

She was born in Kumasi on May 15, 1980; the first of three children born to Ms Grace Acheampong, a trader, and Mr. Akwasi Baafi, who was domiciled in Germany, both of blessed memory.

She first enrolled at the Kings International School, before continuing her education at St Monica’s, where she was the Girls’ Prefect, the President of the Scripture Union and the Science Club. She has gospel divas, Amy Newman of Ghana and Rebecca Malope of South Africa, as her local and international role models, respectively.