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OIFN 2024 OUTREACH-NIGERIA
Osteogenesis Imperfecta Foundation of Nigeria, OIFN in keeping faith with its vision and mission recently held its 2024 edition of its annual ‘Wheelchair/Walking Aids’ outreach across two states in Nigeria.
The event which took place in Lagos and Delta States respectively saw the Foundation providing mobility aids to people with brittle bone conditions and disability in Nigeria.
The essence of the exercise is to do the best possible in providing care in helping people with OI and physical disabilities, with mobility, and inclusion, as well as support their parents and guardians.
LAGOS OUTREACH
The Lagos outreach took place over 7 days with significant impact from the feedback and testimonials of beneficiaries.
The Foundation provided varied individuals with OI and other forms of physical disabilities with what met their mobility needs. Some people haven’t ever had wheelchairs while others could not afford to replace their worn-out/dilapidated wheelchairs, crutches or other walking aids.
Overall, OIFN distributed over 300 pieces of mobility types of equipment, including wheelchairs, crutches, tri-walkers, Cains, boogies and walking sticks, to the delight and appreciation of the beneficiaries and families.
TESTIMONIALS
Adeola – 8 Years Old, Lagos State
“My name is Blessing and my son’s name is Adeola he is a cerebral palsy patient, he can’t move on his own, chew or talk with a lot of difficulties.
All this while I have been at home with him alone, I can’t go out because he can’t move, I don’t have a wheelchair or anything to support him moving. But because of this program, I have been able to get a wheelchair and with it, we can go out and we can see places.
I am so grateful to the founder of this programme without her I don’t know how I am going to afford this, now I have gotten it free of charge and I pray God continue to bless her”.
Adeola got deformed at the age of 2 years and has speech difficulties. He is 8 years old now and it’s very difficult moving him around.
But with the wheelchair, it will now be easy for his Mum to move him around and carry out her house chores. She is happy and grateful.
Dare Adelaja - 30 Years Old: Alakija, Lagos State
My name is Dare and I am living with cerebral palsy as occasioned from birth.
It’s being very challenging growing up and having to go through my day to day activities. It has been traumatizing to know I can’t lead a normal day-to-day life like my peers.
Academically, it was frustrating because there were no specialized centres where I could write my entry examination. As a result, I couldn’t score the required mark to study my preferred course Medicine and Surgery.
Today, I feel a gap has been filled up with this gift of a wheelchair by the foundation because before now, I have been contemplating how to raise funds to repair my old dilapidated wheelchair.
I want to us this opportunity to thank all the people involved in making this possible. I am gratified to have a new wheelchair because now I can move from point a to point b, without the worry or fear that the tyres of my wheelchair would go bad which may result in a mishap.
I am a graduate of Biology Education.
Perry Oladunni - Satellite, Lagos State
My name is Rashidat Sanusi Oladunni, I have a higher national diploma in banking and finance, and a mother of two sons HARRY and PERRY.
Perry was born with osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) also known as brittle bone disease, a condition that causes the bone to fracture or break easily. I wasn’t aware of my son’s condition, as I believed I had a perfect pregnancy until I had a scan at the 7th month of his pregnancy, then the stenographer told me my son’s limbs were short and that he was likely to be a dwarf and asked if anyone has had such condition in our family, and I told him no one has such a condition in our family.
When I eventually gave birth to him (normal delivery) his legs were looking like that of a frozen chicken’s legs and were bowed. I think he fractured when I gave birth to him because anytime I carry him he cries, when we got back home one day after breastfeeding him I laid him down to sleep only for him to wake up, and when I picked him up he started crying loudly, later on I found out his hand was swollen like the bone was broken.
I got to know about the foundation from a doctor at the orthopedic hospital and life changed as a result. When I met the founder outside of the fact that my son didn’t qualify for the surgery and I told her I wanted to start a Point of Sale business, she promised to help because it was difficult getting a regular paid job because of Perry’s condition.
One day she called me and sent a driver to give me about two bails of clothes and toys to sell and see how that would help with setting up my intended business. Today as I am talking to you I can feed my child and myself and I am so grateful to her, without this foundation I don’t know where I would be. People look at me like a strong woman doing what I am doing with a disabled child and not begging as some do, but this is all thanks to the foundation, I am very grateful for your help and assistance.
Boluwatife – 18 Years Old
Boluwatife, is a young man of age 18, and is expressing his excitement to the organiser’s for the great change in fortune, and how the given wheelchair would make life better for him.
He feels happy receiving the wheelchair and commented it’s a blessing from God. He wishes OIFN and TTR the very best as they impact people’s life positively.
“I just received a wheelchair from the foundation I am so happy and thank you so much may God continue to bless you, yeah I have a new wheelchair”.
Janet – 17 Years Old: Satellite, Lagos
“I want to say thank you for giving Janet a very good wheelchair and for the hospitality. We do appreciate it. May God bless and uplift you all in Jesus name, Amen”
Janet is a 17 years old special child who was born with cerebral palsy, we have been doing our best to support her also since then, she once attended a special school called Atunda Olu School, Adeniran Ogunsanya, Surulere, Lagos.
She couldn’t finish her studies before we moved from the area and since then she hasn’t been able to attend school around our new home because there is no special school around.
Janet is a bright and happy child and we have been supporting her to feel better and have self-esteem.
Not until we met the Osteogenesis Imperfecta Foundation that gave us a new and balanced wheelchair from Through the Roof which made Janet very glad when she received it. I think a new start-up or improvement will begin from here, thank you so much and God bless you in Jesus’s name.
Chimuzie Ebonwu - 59 years old from Ogbaru LGA, Anambra State
Well, I was about a year old when it all happened.
My mother had given me birth and placed me on the bed when suddenly she had to come to my aid when she heard me shout.
When she got to the room, a snake was found on the bed with me, the snake was killed and afterwards, I couldn’t walk again.
And I haven’t been able to walk ever since again without a walking aid. That is over 55 years now.
It has not been easy one just has to cope with the pain and the psychological problems that come with living with a disability.
I feel good now that I have a wheelchair, this will enable me to easily move around and engage in chores around the house. Age is telling on me and with what the foundation and her partners have done today, my everyday life would greatly be positively affected.
This is a welcome development and this would go a long way to give people living with disabilities a sense of belonging.
I can’t thank the foundation enough for this wonderful work they are doing.
