A school leaver, Nih’mat Osuntogun, who was recently offered admission to study Medicine and Surgery at the Federal University of Health Sciences, Ila Orangun, Osun State, tells FATTEH HAMID how she is overcoming stigma after losing her left eye in a road crash
You have a big scar on your left eye, can you tell us about it?
My name is Nih’mat Osuntogun, a former pupil of the Federal Government College, Ogbomosho. I’m a science student. I just gained admission into the Federal University of Health Sciences, Ila Orangun, Osun State, to study Medicine and Surgery.
I can’t explain exactly what happened because I was sleeping when an accident happened. Before the incident, I had told my mum that I was going for the Islamic vacation course of the Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria, an annual camp that Muslims attend during holidays, but she said I shouldn’t go. She called my dad after I told her that I was going to the IVC, but my dad told her to permit me to go. I slept off in the vehicle as I stated, and the next thing I could remember was waking up from a coma. However, I was told that a trailer overtook our bus on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway and that was what caused the accident. I woke up from a coma after nine days and I’ve had nine surgeries on the eye so far.
Can you see clearly with the eye?
It’s not like I can’t see, but I have to open the lids before I can see. Even at that, it’s always not clear.
Which hospital(s) carried out the surgeries?
Aside from the first one where the injuries were treated and stitched, I underwent all the surgeries at the University College Hospital, Ibadan, Oyo State.
Where were you taken to when the accident occurred?
I woke up at Al-Hayyu Hospital, Ibadan, Oyo State.
How many days did you spend in the hospital after you woke up?
I was immediately transferred to another hospital in Ogbomosho called Ireti Olu Hospital and I spent about two or three weeks there before I was discharged.
When you woke up from the coma, what did you think happened? Did you think you were dead or in a strange place?
When I woke up, I found myself in a very strange place and the only question I was asking was, “Where am I?” I didn’t know what I was doing.
What class were you when the accident happened?
I was in primary school when it happened. I was in Primary Five at Ladoke Akintola University of Technology Staff School when it happened.
How did the injury affect your childhood? Did you experience discrimination by people or your classmates at school?
Yes, some people mocked me. As a little child, a lot of my peers used to run away from me because of my scar. I felt so bad because I didn’t put myself in that situation. But as I grew, I got used to it and it later became a motivation for me. I felt it was normal for them to behave the way they did.
Did some people call you funny names because of your injury?
When the accident happened, we had just been promoted to Primary Five, and at that time, some of my friends called me names; some called me Olojukan (one-eyed person). However, I had friends who sincerely cared for me. They helped me to take my notes, and I don’t take the gesture for granted.
How did you now cope with that?
When it happened, I was unable to cope with my peers; many of them ran away from me, while the others felt irritated because there used to be pus on my face. Some of them complained that it irritated them and made them unable to eat and all those things made me feel very bad.
Did the injury affect your academic performance?
Yes, the injury affected my studies then, but by the time I got to SS1, I started catching up and getting back on my feet. I can remember that I was the overall best pupil in Biology in SS1. When I was also graduating, I was named the most intelligent.
Were you at any point under pressure that almost forced you to drop out of school due to the stigma?
No, there was no point feeling that way. It made me stronger and I was able to face it head-on.
How much of your parent’s support did you get?
My parents and the MSSN really tried for me when the accident happened. I would have loved to say that it was my situation that made my parents not to be bigger than what they are today.
How?
I can remember that after the sixth surgery, my dad said I should give up on surgeries. However, I met a nurse who was a former student at my school; he encouraged my parents not to give up on surgeries. He said that with faith, everything would be better. It was the nurse and his colleagues that sponsored the sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth surgeries. I really appreciate them, especially Nurse Nnonye because if not for them, I would not have been able to receive treatment up to this stage. If he saw me that day and decided to act as though he didn’t, nothing would have happened. He did a lot.
Are you the only child of your parents?
No, I’m not. My parents have five children and I’m the first child and first female.
You got admission to study Medicine and Surgery, a six-year programme known to be expensive. Have your parents assured you that they will cater for your education all through? Are they financially capable?
No, they’re not. We’re five children and the tuition for all of us is overwhelming our parents. We didn’t know that I gained admission into a university that would be as expensive as this. Its fee is about N450,000, maybe not exactly but they (my parents) will still buy other things for me for six years, including my younger ones. It’s a lot and I can only pray that God will provide for them. I have a strong faith that God will do it.
Did you choose Medicine and Surgery because of your condition and what did you intend to achieve with that?
Yes, I chose Medicine and Surgery because of my condition, and basically, I have an interest in three aspects of surgery but for now, I’ve not decided on which one to go for because I have reasons for the three but I have to think and decide on which one to go for.
What are the three areas of interest?
I have an interest in being a neurosurgeon, ophthalmologist and dentist.
Did you have ophthalmology on the list to help you improve your sight?
No, it’s for other people.
Are you saying you’ve given up on being able to see clearly again?
No, I am not. The problem is with my eye socket, it wasn’t well fixed when I was being treated. During the second surgery I had which they called oral and maxillofacial, they realised that my eye wasn’t well fixed; so, it is no longer in its normal shape.
People with similar conditions like yourself have given up. How were you able to push yourself?
I have a lot of people around me and my parents also. They motivated me. I’m also a motivation to myself.
What were your Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination and Post-UTME scores?
I had 246 in my UTME result and for the post-UTME, I don’t know exactly what it was. However, according to the calculation I did, it was around 7.5/10 and for my O-level results, I had three As and B3 in the rest of the subjects.
What is your aspiration?
I want to grow up to own a hospital where people can be treated. When I was at University College Hospital, Ibadan, my experience there made me to care about people a lot. I saw that people were really suffering. I want to create a world where people like myself can be better treated.
What were those experiences?
When people who have accidents are brought in, especially with injuries on their faces, it’s always not a good sight. They wallowed in a lot of pain and it was very obvious. It hurts to see them that way and I want to grow up to become someone who treats them. I want to also be that person whose story motivates others.
What was the most bitter experience you had after your accident happened?
People made me feel like I was beautiful before the incident and not after, but for me, I tell myself, ‘Nih’mat, you’re still very beautiful’. That stigma and experience made me a better person.
I have the belief that everything and anything is possible. I hope to use my eye normally again one day.
Did what happened to you help you understand life better?
Yes, the accident made me understand life better. I will advise people in similar conditions not to wallow in low self-esteem. They still have a good life to live and the universe isn’t ready for their greatness as much as it’s not ready for mine.
