Nigeria: Hermaphrodite soccer star needs help - '...can’t have sex'

IBOM Angels player , Bessy Boniface has cried out to the First Lady of Akwa Ibom State, Martha Udom Emmanuel for help over her status as a her­maphrodite. Born with both male and fe­male organs, Boniface, an orphan whom doctors confirmed has 85% female and 15% male organs is having an identity cri­sis, lacking the confi­dence to call herself either a man or woman.

The former Delta Queens striker was thrown out of the Fal­conets camp be­fore the Chile 2008 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup when the coaches discov­ered they had a player that could not pass for a complete woman.

To compound Bessy’s woes, she was duped in 2010 by those who pretended to be raising funds for her to have a corrective surgery Over­sees. Speaking with Saturday SunSports,in an emotion-laden voice, the Akwa- Ibom State born footballer, presently nursing a frac­tured knee injury , said she longs to have a family of her own and had made frantic efforts to get the atten­tion of Akwa Ibom State First Lady but to no avail.

“I have been going through a trau­matic time and it has not been easy coping with the situation,” Boniface began. “Through the help of some people, I have tried severally to see if I can get the attention of my state government. This has not been suc­cessful.

The last effort I made, I was ad­vised to write a letter and send it via DHL to the governors office. When I enquired about the procedure, I was told that to send a letter through DHL will cost N10,000, which I could not afford. As the breadwin­ner of my family, it has been tough making ends meet. Throughout last year I did not play with my Club Ibom Angels because of the injury I sustained.”

Continuing, Bessey said: “My wish is to get married and raise a family of my own , but I cannot have it because of this situation. whom do I run to, where will my help come from? Doctors have told me that I’m 85 per cent woman. I need the help of Nigerians to come out of my nasty condition, I plead with them to help me raise some money for an operation to correct my condition.

”Ironically, she said her younger sister, Monica Boniface, her status has affected her sexual life as she has no boy friend. “Intimate relationship with the men? Truth be told, I don’t have any boyfriend. I long to have a relation­ship with men but I cannot because of this issue. It is a very embarrass­ing one. How do you explain to a man that you have both organs, which man will stand such a situa­tion?.

However, I believe that God will not let me waste away like this. I believe that Nigerians will listen to my case and plea and come to my assistance. I pray that God will touch their hearts to come to my rescue,” she cried.

Ekaete, as her team mates fondly call her, in the 2007 women’s league season, scored a total of 12 goals for Delta Queens – seven in the League, three in the Challenge Cup and two in the Super Four.

Meanwhile, it would be recalled that a similar problem ended Iyabo Abade’s career with the Super Falcons, when it was discovered that she had both male and female organs.

She returned from a success­ful operation in the United States as a man and immediately changed her name to James Johnson. Like Iyabo, Bessy must undergo surgery to either remain a woman or launch herself into the men’s world.
The Sun.