Persons living with disabilities in Ghana continue to face discrimination. Although Ghana passed the Disability Law, Act 715, in 2006, which aimed at ending discrimination against people with disabilities, the act has not made any progress or caused positive changes in their lives.
The story of a 30-year-old lady whose dream was to become a nurse has taken the opposite direction as she was paralyzed in infancy and now struggles to survive. Judith Adobea was born in Akyem Takrowase in the Eastern Region of Ghana and the firstborn of 4 siblings.
Judith’s dream was to become a nurse. At the age of 6, Judith started experiencing fever and was rushed to a health facility for treatment. There was no doctor to attend to her upon arrival, so the nurse on duty gave her First Aid to calm her situation. The injection the nurse administered to her, according to Judith, had expired, which ended up causing her disability.
When the doctor arrived to attend to her, she was paralyzed all over and could not feel anything in her body. She was transferred to a nearby hospital and was in a coma for almost one and a half years.
She crawled on his knees for some years after coming back from the coma. She started holding on to things bit by bit before regaining her mobility. Even so, her legs were so heavy and painful that she could not move them very well.
This has shifted her body posture as her spinal cord is tilted downwards. In an exclusive interview with Disability News Africa, the 30-year-old woman said she usually falls down a lot due to her condition.
Her right leg has become weak and more negligible, too, so all the burden is on the left leg, and constant falling has left bruises and scars all over her body.
Judith can only manage a few steps by holding his left knee. Amidst mockery and stigma from her schoolmates, she persevered to complete Junior High School.
Judith’s family consists of peasant farmers, who motivated her to complete senior high school at Asuom Senior High School.
It has been her long-term dream to pursue nursing, but she has not been able to enroll in a nursing school due to financial constraints.
Judith lives in Kumasi with her grandmother, a widow, in a single room. This room has four occupants, making her living conditions unfavorable as the house has no amenities. She walks a long distance before accessing a public toilet facility.
Additionally, she needs daily upkeep to survive. Due to her condition, she has been trying to get a job, but her efforts have proved futile.
“It was a story building, and after I climbed up to the office and it was my turn for the interview, the man just looked at me in a way that made me sad. After the interview, I followed up at the office, and when I reached there, the man told me plainly, we are not here to joke, madam; you can’t do this job”. Since that incident, Judith has stopped looking for jobs. These challenges have led her to attempt suicide several times.
Judith is appealing to the general public for assistance to enable her to start a small business and save money to rent a house with amenities to cope with her situation. She has been frequenting the hospital because of the constant falling, and the doctor has warned her that her condition could get worse if the falling persists.
In her own words, “I am pleading to everybody to come to my aid. I would appreciate any support in releasing me from this heavy burden I am going through now.”
Although her dream of becoming a nurse is dwindling, she still has hope, “If I have the opportunity to go back to school again, I will be a Nurse or Human Resource.”
To support Judith, reach her on 0595750829.
By Francis Quasie
