By Magnus Effiong
Daniel Imo, 44, paralysed for the past 23 years as a result of a workplace accident, has cried out for help from governments at all levels, groups, organisation and indeed public-spirited individuals.
In a chat, Imo, who hails from Adadama community in Abi Local Government Area of Cross River State, said his ordeal began as a result of an accident he suffered at his workplace, which resulted in a spinal cord injury.
Speaking while bemoaning his fate, Imo said the incident, which occurred on October 10, 2003, while he was working as a delivery van driver for a pharmaceutical company in Onitsha, Anambra State, has left him bedridden for the past 23 years.
According to him, he was delivering goods to customers in Fegge, near the River Niger Bridge, when a stray cow suddenly charged at him, knocking him down and leaving him with severe injuries.
He said he was initially treated at a nearby clinic before being referred to the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Enugu, where medical examinations confirmed that he had suffered a cervical spinal cord injury.
Doctors, he said, requested an initial deposit of N75,000 for surgery, but his family could not raise the money.
Imo further alleged that funds reportedly released by his employer for his treatment were diverted by a company manager, a development he said was later uncovered by the company’s director after his relatives confronted the management over the company’s failure to provide adequate support during his prolonged hospitalisation.
He said he was eventually taken back to his village, where he remained bedridden until 2014, when communal violence between Adadama in Cross River State and a neighbouring community in Ebonyi State forced his family to flee for safety.
According to him, his relatives had no option but to leave him behind because they could not carry him through the bush while fleeing the attack.
He said he was locked inside the house before his family fled and was later rescued after a distress message he posted on Facebook attracted the attention of a Nigerian based in the United Kingdom, who arranged for his evacuation from the community.
Recounting his daily struggle, Imo said: “I have no sensation from my neck downward. I depend entirely on caregivers to turn me in bed, feed me and attend to my daily needs,”
“Years without adequate physiotherapy have left most of my joints stiff, while recurring infections and chronic bedsores have worsened my condition.
“At this stage, I am no longer thinking about treatment because my condition has become medically complicated. What I need now is support for feeding, medications and other daily needs,” he said, and submitted his bank account details as 2072008766 UBA, Daniel Imo, and 07031655209 as his phone number.
Also speaking, Mrs. Justina Imo, Daniel’s mother, said her son’s condition has left her physically, emotionally and psychologically devastated.
She said she has not seen Daniel since 2014 when the communal conflict forced her and other family members to flee for their lives, leaving him behind because his condition made it impossible to evacuate him, a situation that was beyond her.
Mrs. Imo said the pain of living apart from her son and watching his condition deteriorate over the years has taken a heavy toll on her health, revealing that she developed high blood pressure from constant worry and emotional trauma.
“My son has spent 23 years on the sickbed. His future was cut short by this unfortunate incident. I appeal to the government and kind-hearted Nigerians to come to his aid. Even if he cannot fully recover, he deserves a better quality of life and the support to live with dignity,” she pleaded.
