Can you walk around freely, jump or
hop around without pains or stress? Do you know how valuable it is to move
around effortlessly with your legs? Have you hurt you foot before and then
suddenly you move around sluggishly with pains? I guess you won’t be so
bothered because when the injury heals, you can freely move around again.
But does that not give you a glimpse of what it feels like when an able-bodied
grown man suddenly finds it difficult or impossible to walk around as result of
an illness or an accident? How scary the thought would be that this is not a
temporary injury but a permanent life-altering disability? How aggrieved would
it be if one suddenly finds out that he or she can’t just stroll around anymore
and that he or she have to move around with a wheelchair or the with aid of prosthesis or arm supports! Would that be the end of the world? How have some
individuals in the past dealt with their paralysis? In their grief over the loss
of some or all of the functions of their limbs, did they find more reason to
live and to make a difference and to leave this world a better place than they
met it? Let’s begin:
In
Their Grief, They found a Course – The Story of John C. Hockenberry!
John
Charles Hockenberry was born on June 4, 1956. At the age of 19 when he was an
undergraduate student, he was in a vehicle that got involved in a gruesome
accident. He sustained spinal cord injury that left him paralyzed with loss of
sensation and voluntary movement from his mid-chest down. He later took
interest in broadcasting and journalism. In spite of the limitations of been in
a wheelchair, he became so proficient in his career. He worked in major
broadcasting networks like ABC and NBC. He covered the Persian Gulf War in 1991
and 1992. He covered the civil war in Somalia
and the early days of the al-Qaeda in Afghanistan US like
The New York Times and The Washington Peabody Award winner (Peabody
‘It
was a memoir about my accident and right after it and how I got into radio and
sort of the discoveries I [made] along the way of how being physically
different turned out to be an advantage in strange sorts of ways and the kinds
of things that you're motivated to do when you feel like you're different and
have to overcompensate and how ridiculous sometimes those things can be.’ – He
was interviewed by Linda Richards on January Magazine (januarymagazine.com)
He was
the 32nd President of the United
States US America America after the
Japanese invasion and destruction of Pearl Harbor
in 1941. But the man in the wheels showed no sign of weakness; he courageously
stood up to give a famous speech to Congress and declared an act of war! As
President, he helped formed the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis
(the March of Dimes). He’s quoted as saying the following:
‘The
only thing we have to fear is fear itself.’
‘When
you get to the end of the rope. Tie a knot and hang on.’
‘Happiness
is not in the mere possession of money; it lies in the joy of achievement, in
the thrill of creative effort.’
‘Courage
is not the absence of fear, but rather the assessment that something else is
more important than fear.’ – Quotes sourced from www.goodreads.com
Arthur
C. Guyton
Arthur
Clifton Guyton is a household name in the world of medicine. He’s well known
for his book: Guyton’s Textbook of Medical Physiology. He attended the University of Mississippi
and Harvard Medical School University
of Mississippi
‘If
you need it and it doesn't exist, invent it.’
(Specifics
of the above stories were sourced from Google.com and Wikipedia.com)
On a
final note in this series, let me say I find all the above stories very
personal. I was born and raised for much of my formative years by a paraplegic
father. Yes, the late Mr. Moses Ojirigho was an able-bodied man who was born
with his full bodily functions. He was a promising young man when he suddenly
fell ill to a terrible disease that left him paralyzed from his waist down. He
sought treatment for so many years all to no avail. In spite of his
limitations, he didn’t give up. He was resilient. He was hopeful. He was
hard-working I was born to meet him in his paraplegic state but I don’t know
many able-bodied men who could courageously do the things he did. He taught me
a lot. The most important lesson I learnt from him is the value of endurance.
His life was the epitome of patience, endurance and perseverance. I’m Dr.
Eugene A. Ojirigho, the proud son of a paraplegic father and I have nothing to
be ashamed of about that. In grief, he stood tall even though literally he
could not stand on his own. I lost him years ago, but he’s my hero any day, a
great dad who gave it all in spite of all the odds. My dad loved writing down
his thoughts in colourful words. If I'm any good in writing, i'm nothing, i'm
just being the true son of my father. My father once told me, ‘You don’t forget
the things that are most important to you.’ There is power in grief. Loss of a
loved one does not mean the end of the world. Loss of sight or hearing or loss
of the ability to walk does not make you less human. It does not stop you from
reaching your goals. Rather such loss could inspire you to greater heights.
Yes, in grief and sorrow, we can all find a purposeful and productive course of
life. To all those who lost loved ones in the ill-fated Dana flight, I say,
‘don’t give up.’ Be resolved to lead a more rewarding life that your loved ones
would be proud of were they alive to see you. Thanks for your patience and love
in reading this rather long article. Stay safe! Peace!
P.S.
This is the last of the series: In their Grief, They Found a Course! I wrote it
for the memories of those who lost their lives in the tragic Dana Airline plane
crash in Lagos on the 3rd of June, 2012. May all who've lost loved ones at one
time or another find a course worthy of the memory of those whom they've lost!
– Dr. Eugene A. O
