My names are Onwubariri Emmanuel Chidube. I was bone into the family of SP Okechukwu Onwubariri and Mrs Rose Onwubariri.
I’m from Africa Nigeria, Imo State, Isiala Mbano LGA, Oka Ndibinihu village.
Thirteen years ago, I was a college graduate seeking for a university admission to study Electrical and Electronic Engineering. At about six months period, I was set to graduate. I had to travel. I boarded a car and travelled on the expressway where the front tire of the car got punctured. The car somersaulted several times and I lost consciousness.
When i woke up I found myself on an ambulance which for some reason burst into flames and hit a car. It was so bad that people had to come and rescue us. I was transferred to another car and was taken to a near by hospital. But then it turned out that the hospital didn’t have a doctor and the nurses didn’t know what to do. Someone went to a bigger hospital and brought an ambulance . Only then was I taken to a proper hospital.
Because it’s weekend, there’s a high possibility that doctors might not be at work. My parents are living far from the hospital, they requested for a transfer which the hospital management agreed to. I was then transferred to Federal Medical Center Owerri. There my diagnoses was done, series of X Rays was done, lots of scan was also done, the result came out that i sustained a compound fracture at the back bone, and my spine is broken, my chest bone and some ribs broken too. For five long months I was in the hospital bed taking all kinds of treatment. But then the doctor couldn’t really do a surgery to put my bones in order. After five months, I was discharged. I have been using a wheelchair ever since while I’ve been suffering from my spinal cord injury.
Exactly twelve years now I’ve been suffering from paralysis with neuropathic pain which is excruciating. The level of my injury is T6 -T7 complete spinal cord injury. At most times. I suffer from a pressure sore which is very hard to heal. This is because I lack the right kind of medical supplies and equipment to use as a paraplegic.
I lack everything needed to combat this spinal cord injury. Most of the time, I don’t get my medical supplies such as medicine, catheters, urine bag, antiseptics, antibiotics, bed pads, or a proper wheelchair, and cushion.
I live in a small town called Oka. In my town, I can’t travel a short distance away from my house because of the kind of wheelchair I am using and mostly bad road conditions. Finally, there’s no running water and I always buy water for my daily needs.
My goal with the Dubel Disability Foundation is to help people with spinal cord injury whose needs are as much or more than mine.
