Ogunnusi Alexander, a physically challenged digital marketer from Ogun State, tells TEMITOPE ADETUNJI how a freak accident he had while jumping from a tree resulted in a spinal cord injury that made him abandon his dreams of studying medicine.
What was growing up like for you?
My name is Ogunnusi Alexander. I’m thirty years old. I’m from Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State. I’m living with a physical disability. I had a spinal cord injury that I haven’t been able to recover from. Although there were times that I felt down emotionally, periods that I felt inadequate and like I didn’t fit in, especially amongst my friends, I would say I am grateful to my family who helped me, and people who made sacrifices for me.
What do you do for a living?
I’m a digital marketing specialist, social media manager, and digital campaign manager.
What is your birth position in your family?
I’m the second child. We’re two actually, I have an older sibling.
Can you share the story that led to your disability?
Sometime in 2002, I went to a lesson with other kids. The venue is a developing site in Abuja. It had trees with some fruits. I climbed one tree in search of fruit. However, when I jumped down, I think I jumped wrongly and took a hit to my spine. I thought it was just one of those minor injuries that I could easily recover from, but I was wrong. A few days later I was in severe pain and I started to lose the ability to use my hands and legs. I was only able to talk and move my head. I was rushed to St Mary Catholic Hospital, Gwagwalada, Abuja. I was attended to and given medications, and we stayed there until late at night, but there wasn’t any improvement in my condition. Then the doctor told my dad that I may not make it, and suggested that we be referred to Ibadan. But a nurse came to my mum and encouraged her not to give up on me. She suggested that we try Gwagwalada Specialist Hospital.
So, when my dad came to my mum with what the doctor had said, she refused and demanded that we should be referred to the Specialist Hospital at Gwagwalada. We were then referred there. This was around 11 pm to 12 am. We couldn’t find a vehicle, so we boarded a bike which took us to the Hospital. But there were no spaces in the wards anymore as there had been a serious accident that night involving a luxurious bus and there were a lot of casualties outside with the doctors attending to everyone. A doctor attended to us later that night, and we were given a bed at the emergency unit. I successfully underwent surgery two days later and I went on to spend four months at the hospital and was discharged with hopes that I could attain full recovery.
Unfortunately, it happened that my dad’s pension stopped coming and there were no resources to go back for check-ups and to continue therapy sessions. So I had to do a little bit of recovery at home and return to school in a wheelchair. Later I started using crutches and eventually a walking stick. Since then I’ve been visiting hospitals to know more about my health. I started physiotherapy at Kubwa General Hospital, Abuja, though I stopped going during the peak period of the COVID-19 outbreak and couldn’t resume due to fund problems. I later returned to the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, Gwagwalada for treatment but since we moved to Mowe, Ogun State I have not been able to take any steps regarding my health condition. It has been a stop-and-start thing.
What did the doctor say about your health condition the last time you were at the hospital?
They did some checks and asked about my medical history. I did an X-ray and the results came back. Physiotherapy was recommended for six months to check for any improvement after which other options would be explored. They maintained that we should have done something about it a long time ago and that the deformities were about the muscles that had not been active for a very long time. They noted that I have a chance of walking again.
Are you a graduate?
Yes, I am. I read theology. I have a diploma in theology from Africa Independent Seminary, Niger State.
What year did you graduate?
I graduated in 2017.
During those days when you were in school, how supportive were your friends and how was it easy for you to navigate the challenges of academics as a physically challenged person?
I think my mum particularly helped me by constantly engaging me in chores. I started doing the dishes at home with my siblings as soon as I was able to start moving around and getting in and out of my wheelchair. I think maybe consciously or unconsciously she was preparing me for the outside world. And when I got to school my friends were very supportive you know, especially in primary school where they were able to wheel me about in my wheelchair which was fascinating to them as kids until I started using crutches. Of course, I had the support of my sister through primary and secondary school. I also attended a boarding school in senior secondary where I had boarding house masters and mistresses, prefects, and hostel mates who were quite supportive.
What are your memorable experiences during the school days?
In the higher institution, I wasn’t so sure about theology because it wasn’t what I had an interest in initially. But, eventually, with the warm and welcoming atmosphere from co-learners who were mostly older as we had fewer young people, I was able to get more ideas about the course. it was more of a comfortable setting and yeah it was a welcoming environment. My dad played a big role in helping me get used to moving around.
Most times, he would just ask me to dress up and then take me out. I started to understand moving around. So when I started theology the school was 15-20 minutes away from where I live. It wasn’t so difficult to board and alight from vehicles to and from school. I also had support from passengers as well who were for the most part kind enough to give up their seats for me. My family played a big role in ensuring that I did not lose hope.
Could you discuss any specific obstacles you faced in your daily life and how you found ways to overcome them?
I think the obstacles are moving around, accessing buildings, and crossing roads. I remember when I was traveling to Ijebu Ode and I had to alight along the road to cross to the other side and there was just a tiny plank to cross the big gutter, I had to look for a way to manoeuvre it. God was so kind that I didn’t fall into the ditch. Things like this are what I call attention to on my platform on Twitter. We should look into these issues and address them to ensure inclusion for people with disabilities in the society. For instance, crossing roads in some places can be particularly difficult for people living with physical disabilities. So I would say movement is one of the things I have found challenging.
Are you in a relationship?
Not at the moment. I’ve had past relationships though, one of which was with someone I met online. We were good for a couple of years until she got admitted into the University of Lagos and we lost touch with whatever we had but we are good as family friends today.
Have you ever been in a situation where someone rejected you because of your disability?
It might have happened to some people but I haven’t had many straight-up situations like that. However, I met someone on social media and we were always chatting on the Twitter Timeline. Then we decided to meet in Abuja. We had other friends who were coming for a hangout. She came and saw me. She acted all well and we spoke. So when I got back home she texted and asked in her words: “Why didn’t you tell me you had a disability?” And I said I thought you knew because it was on my Bio and she said she didn’t catch that. I didn’t know how to react to that, so from that point onward I stepped back a little.
How did you feel about that situation?
It was a rude shock to me because I did not hide anything about my condition and it wasn’t my fault that she did not know. It’s in my Bio all over my social media channels. I think people having disabilities shouldn’t be an issue.
You mentioned you are a digital marketer and social media manager, was that what you had a passion for as a child?
I had wanted to be a doctor. I was interested in saving lives and also giving back to the world. However, since I wasn’t able to recover fully, I gave up the idea especially after I tried gaining admission several times without success. It was my mum who suggested that I should study theology and I embraced the idea also due to the financial constraints of the family because my dad died before I finished secondary school in 2011. Seeing my sister through the school of nursing was a huge burden on my mom already so there wasn’t much she could do about my education at that time and maybe she was scared of me being far away from home.
Is there something someone has said to you that has made you almost depressed or that almost made you give up on yourself?
I’ve had harsh comments from people while growing up. Sometimes I just crawl into my shell and other times I put it behind me. I think I’ve been blessed in some ways while growing up because I’ve been able to overcome some challenges especially that of not being able to gain admission into university. After all, that has always been my dream. I used to feel depressed when I saw that some of my mates had gone to school and I was at home and I had nothing to do. That was before I went to study theology.
How do you encourage yourself?
I believe I can find my way around everything. I feel tomorrow is going to be better if I keep pushing. I believe I’ve been able to do well for myself and I don’t want to be seen as handicapped in life because it’s just a state of the mind.
How do you address misconceptions or stereotypes about disability in your interactions with others?
I’m very vocal about disabilities and I’ve joined different disability groups and attended a couple of seminars about disability. I always speak up when people talk about disabilities. For instance, there’s a boy in my community with a verbal impairment that people mistake for a mental deformity. I talk about this online too.
What are your goals and aspirations for the future?
I wish to be seen as the light in the disability environment and community. I want people to know that it’s possible to rise to the top even with a disability. I have a personal project I’m trying to work on. I am working on a campaign to prevail on the Governor of Ogun state, Dapo Abiodun to domesticate the National Disability Act. My dream is to be in a position to give so much back to society.
What kind of help do you need?
I would say I need help financially especially towards improving my health and possibly attaining full recovery. I would also appreciate help towards my career in terms of connections for jobs and gigs. I’m a freelance digital marketer, social media manager, digital campaign manager, and paid Ads manager, and connections to people who would need my skills would be greatly appreciated.
