.Perhaps if Chukwuebuka Okonkwo had not returned to his mother’s shop to look for his brother Michael he would have escaped the tragic attack that has changed his life. The youngster was full of life and like every teenager was looking forward to acquiring the best education so that he would be in better position to assist his parents and siblings in future.
An indigene of Anambra State, but unlike of some of his kinsmen who take to trade at early age, the young lad, right from his primary days, according to his father, had nursed the ambition of acquiring university education to study civil engineering.
He was already on the track of actualizing his dream when fate dealt a cruel blow to his burgeoning life. This was precisely on August 26, 2004. It was one incident that has left the young lad, now 24 years, bed-ridden for seven years and also put paid to his dream of going to the university.
Chukwuebuka, then 18 years and six months old, was looking forward to the release of the NECO examination he wrote. When the NECO results were eventually released the charming Chukwuebuka came out in flying colours but then tragedy struck.
VM, recalled that on that fateful Thursday, Yenagoa, the state capital, was locked in an orgy of violence reportedly unleashed by cultists leaving 13 dead among them a six-year-boy and several others critically injured.
Chukwuebuka and his brother were among the injured. While he survived a near fatal gunshot wound to his chest and wrist which fractured one of his fingers and left the lower part of his body paralyzed, his brother was luckier as his injured hand had since healed and he will be graduating next year from the Anambra State University where he is studying Political Science.
When VM visited the ailing youngster on his sick bed Wednesday last week, he was full of hope that one day he would walk again and forge ahead to actualising his life ambition of studying civil engineering as well as touching the lives of the needy in the society.
“You are welcome brother; I’m happy somebody came to visit me on my birthday,” he said and asked to feel the iPad II tablet in my hand. In spite of his predicament the youngster knows how lucky he is to be alive and is determined to overcome the odd against him.
He believes God has a reason for sparing his life. But his dream of growing into an accomplished man is now hanging in the balance on account of his predicament described as paraplegia by his doctor.
Like every concerned parent, for seven years they have been going from one healing home to the other to seek for solution to their son’s predicament to no avail. To make matters worse, the father’s thriving building material business has crumbled.
Recalling the attack that has left him paraplegic, he said: “It happened on August 26, 2004. I went to my mother’s shop to help her to wash bitter leaf. She said we will return home together later in the day”.
The lad got home only to discover that his brother was yet to return, so he went back to Ebi’s Mechanic road looking for him, a decision which turned out to be a costly mistake and changed the fortune of this once happy family.
Cornered by gunmen
It was when he went back in search of his brother that he met face to face with death. Eight armed gunmen cornered them in a shop and threatened to kill them. He said from their action they were not after anybody. But there was pandemonium in the neighbourhood as residents took to their heels when news of shooting in different parts of the capital city went round town.
Ironically, he said he had earlier walked past the gunmen without any hitch and was lucky to have seen his brother close to a restaurant around Ebi’s Mechanic junction and queried why he was still outside.
He said his brother was watching a football match with some friends and that they were about leaving when all hell was let loose as, according to him: “One of them (gunmen) ordered that they should shoot everybody”. Chukwuebuka, who was in front, instinctively deflected the closest rifle trained on his head and miraculously the bullet missed his head and instead hit him on the side of his ribs.
It was that courageous act that saved him from receiving a fatal blow to the head. This, however, was the genesis of his travail. For seven years, he could not make use of his legs and had to rely on family members for support whenever he is pressed by nature.
“There is a bullet still lodged in my body which the doctor said is responsible for my predicament,” he said, adding: “I was given six pint of blood due to the excess bleeding I suffered after the gunshot.”
Though the bullet did not shatter his spinal cord, but medical report said the impact of the metal lodged in his body may have triggered a shock in the spinal cord which affected the lower part of his body.
The solution to the lad’s predicament, VM learnt, now lies with an Indian hospital which has assured that it has the technical expertise to carry out corrective surgery on him and also remove the bullet in his body.
N4 million needed
However, the family will have to cough out about N4 million needed for the surgery to enable the young lad regain the use of his legs and actualise his dream of going to the university.
According to a medical report obtained at the Federal Medical Centre, Yenagoa and prepared by Dr. Young Dede, a consultant orthopaedic surgeon, dated September 5, 2011, the lad was rushed to the centre on August 26, 2004 after sustaining some multiple injuries from gunshot by cultists.
The patient referred for further management of the spinal cord injury at National Orthopaedic Hospital Enugu.
“He has recently returned back to Bayelsa State still on wheel chair with associated right gluteal decubitus ulcer which is healing,” the doctor stated in the report. “We have been trying to raise the money needed for treatment abroad to enable me walk again and this is seven years since the incident which occurred when I was only 18 years. My parents have lost their life savings and my father’s business has crumbled because of my ordeal.
Efforts to raise money
We have sent the X-ray to India which they reported back to us that my problem was not beyond redemption. We have been trying to raise the money for a problem that happened when I was a teenager till date to no avail,” the lad noted with sadness.
The youngster said he has learnt much about life from his sick bed. “If I had died then I would have been a waste to the country. I would have been forgotten and will not be in a position to actualise my life ambition of becoming of an engineer. I have much to give to this country, from my sick bed I have learnt how to write poem, compose songs the inspiration just comes,” he said.
The father of Chukwuebuka, Mr. Michael Okonkwo pleaded with well-meaning Nigerians to come to the aid of his child by helping to raise fund needed for his treatment in India, saying his meagre resources cannot foot the medical bill, which is estimated at N4 million.
The traumatized lad said philosophically
Chukwuebuka and his brother were among the injured. While he survived a near fatal gunshot wound to his chest and wrist which fractured one of his fingers and left the lower part of his body paralyzed, his brother was luckier as his injured hand had since healed and he will be graduating next year from the Anambra State University where he is studying Political Science.
When VM visited the ailing youngster on his sick bed Wednesday last week, he was full of hope that one day he would walk again and forge ahead to actualising his life ambition of studying civil engineering as well as touching the lives of the needy in the society.
“You are welcome brother; I’m happy somebody came to visit me on my birthday,” he said and asked to feel the iPad II tablet in my hand. In spite of his predicament the youngster knows how lucky he is to be alive and is determined to overcome the odd against him.
He believes God has a reason for sparing his life. But his dream of growing into an accomplished man is now hanging in the balance on account of his predicament described as paraplegia by his doctor.
Like every concerned parent, for seven years they have been going from one healing home to the other to seek for solution to their son’s predicament to no avail. To make matters worse, the father’s thriving building material business has crumbled.
Recalling the attack that has left him paraplegic, he said: “It happened on August 26, 2004. I went to my mother’s shop to help her to wash bitter leaf. She said we will return home together later in the day”.
The lad got home only to discover that his brother was yet to return, so he went back to Ebi’s Mechanic road looking for him, a decision which turned out to be a costly mistake and changed the fortune of this once happy family.
Cornered by gunmen
It was when he went back in search of his brother that he met face to face with death. Eight armed gunmen cornered them in a shop and threatened to kill them. He said from their action they were not after anybody. But there was pandemonium in the neighbourhood as residents took to their heels when news of shooting in different parts of the capital city went round town.
Ironically, he said he had earlier walked past the gunmen without any hitch and was lucky to have seen his brother close to a restaurant around Ebi’s Mechanic junction and queried why he was still outside.
He said his brother was watching a football match with some friends and that they were about leaving when all hell was let loose as, according to him: “One of them (gunmen) ordered that they should shoot everybody”. Chukwuebuka, who was in front, instinctively deflected the closest rifle trained on his head and miraculously the bullet missed his head and instead hit him on the side of his ribs.
It was that courageous act that saved him from receiving a fatal blow to the head. This, however, was the genesis of his travail. For seven years, he could not make use of his legs and had to rely on family members for support whenever he is pressed by nature.
“There is a bullet still lodged in my body which the doctor said is responsible for my predicament,” he said, adding: “I was given six pint of blood due to the excess bleeding I suffered after the gunshot.”
Though the bullet did not shatter his spinal cord, but medical report said the impact of the metal lodged in his body may have triggered a shock in the spinal cord which affected the lower part of his body.
The solution to the lad’s predicament, VM learnt, now lies with an Indian hospital which has assured that it has the technical expertise to carry out corrective surgery on him and also remove the bullet in his body.
N4 million needed
However, the family will have to cough out about N4 million needed for the surgery to enable the young lad regain the use of his legs and actualise his dream of going to the university.
According to a medical report obtained at the Federal Medical Centre, Yenagoa and prepared by Dr. Young Dede, a consultant orthopaedic surgeon, dated September 5, 2011, the lad was rushed to the centre on August 26, 2004 after sustaining some multiple injuries from gunshot by cultists.
The patient referred for further management of the spinal cord injury at National Orthopaedic Hospital Enugu.
“He has recently returned back to Bayelsa State still on wheel chair with associated right gluteal decubitus ulcer which is healing,” the doctor stated in the report. “We have been trying to raise the money needed for treatment abroad to enable me walk again and this is seven years since the incident which occurred when I was only 18 years. My parents have lost their life savings and my father’s business has crumbled because of my ordeal.
Efforts to raise money
We have sent the X-ray to India which they reported back to us that my problem was not beyond redemption. We have been trying to raise the money for a problem that happened when I was a teenager till date to no avail,” the lad noted with sadness.
The youngster said he has learnt much about life from his sick bed. “If I had died then I would have been a waste to the country. I would have been forgotten and will not be in a position to actualise my life ambition of becoming of an engineer. I have much to give to this country, from my sick bed I have learnt how to write poem, compose songs the inspiration just comes,” he said.
The father of Chukwuebuka, Mr. Michael Okonkwo pleaded with well-meaning Nigerians to come to the aid of his child by helping to raise fund needed for his treatment in India, saying his meagre resources cannot foot the medical bill, which is estimated at N4 million.
The traumatized lad said philosophically
Source: Vanguard Metro.
please, help Ebuka!!!!
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