WHEN Mutale Chilima first held her baby in her arms eight years ago, she imagined laughter, tiny footsteps and the sound of “mama” coming from the baby’s mouth two years later.
But life had a different script.
Mutale was only 19, young and full of dreams when she gave birth to this beautiful baby girl whom she named Chloe, in the mining town of Chililabombwe at Lubengele Clinic.
However, the youngsters’s life came crashing when her then boyfriend and father to her baby decided to abandon his fatherly responsibilities after the baby was diagnosed with a rare condition called Rett Syndrome.
Now 27, the single mum lives with her special child in Kabwe, caring for her alone and sometimes with the help of her young sister.
“When Chloe turned two, she couldn’t talk, she couldn’t walk again. When the doctors told me what it was, I felt like the ground had opened beneath me,” she recalls.
Her then boyfriend, Shadreck Mumba, was a young man with a promising future, once a UNZASU president and later a parliamentary aspirant in Kitwe.
For a while, the couple was happy, but after their baby’s diagnosis, everything changed.
“He went into denial. He said there’s nothing like that in his family. He blamed my mother saying that she didn’t take care of the baby properly. He accused my mother of not doing the right thing when the baby was born ati tabamuchinine bwino umwana. He then told me he wanted to punish me for bringing such a child into the world,” shared Mutale in an interview.
Soon after, the father to the baby stopped providing support and Mutale was promoted to report the matter to social welfare, but she says little came of it.
“He told me he couldn’t help because he wasn’t working. But this is someone who used to support before my baby was diagnosed and one day he even said he wanted me to go and beg him for child support,” she explained.
Eight years on, she has raised Chloe with the help of her parents. But now, her mother, who once cared for the child is battling arthritis and can no longer walk.
“My mum can no longer take care of Chloe because she also can’t walk anymore. I’m now living with the baby alone while I go for work to look for money. My young sister helps with the baby when I’m not home,” she said.
Mutale works for a private company, but her income barely covers Chloe’s therapy and schooling.
Despite the weight of her responsibilities, in 2023, the young mum graduated from Evelyn Hone College with a Diploma in Science Laboratory Technology.
This month, as the world marks Rett Syndrome Awareness Month, the single mum has found a way to turn her pain into purpose.
She’s producing and selling T-shirts and tote bags to raise funds for Chloe’s education at the Caleb Centre for Children with Autism in Kabwe, while also spreading awareness about the condition.
“I want people to understand what Rett Syndrome is. As we sell the tshirts, we will be sharing knowledge about the syndrome. I have a doctor I’m working with, who will help unpack what the syndrome is all about because it’s a rare condition and most people only come to find out when it’s too late. I don’t want other mothers to be blamed the way I was,” she told Kalemba.
What is Rett Syndrome?
Rett Syndrome is a rare genetic disorder that affects brain development, mostly in girls. It leads to severe physical and intellectual disability, including difficulties with movement, coordination and communication.
Children with Rett Syndrome may lose the ability to speak or walk and require lifelong care and specialised support. The condition affects roughly 1 in 10,000 to 15,000 girls worldwide.
By Catherine Pule
Kalemba, October 6, 2025
