Woke had never heard of Physical therapy neither had he envisaged that it would become an integral part of his life till he was sitting on a wheelchair in St. Mary’s Hospital, Abuja. Sometimes, life throws disasters our way and we’re forced to deal with them. Transitioning from a seasoned athlete with several medals to his name to a 31 year old cripple was surely not the dream.
While waiting in the lobby, his mind flashes back to that awful day when the Consultant, Dr. Adeniyi looked at him pitifully and said; ‘’You’ll be needing help that I can’t provide. I’ll be referring you to the hospital’s Physiotherapy unit, but in all sincerity you may never walk again’’. Wole couldn’t decide whether it was the pity in the Doctor’s eyes or the fact that he was being referred to some dumb unit even though his condition was obviously hopeless that got him so riled up.
The first 3 months were tough for him and even more difficult for poor Dr Nancy, the physical therapist put in charge of his rehabilitation. Looking back, the lady was really patient. You rarely find people who’ll keep up with the type of attitude he displayed during those months, health condition or not. He remembered the conversation they had after one of his numerous outbursts. It was on that day he decided to pour his heart out. He told her how unfair it was that he was here, how it didn’t make sense because he had trained all his life to be a good athlete, how everyone kept telling him to be thankful that he hadn’t lost his legs but those words were cold comfort. What good were the legs if he would never run with them again?
Woke was never a bright student and had only excelled in sports. Struggling with dyslexia, he barely managed to pass through school. When he became one of Nigeria’s finest athletes, he paid his way through the University and got a degree in Information Science because his management insisted. He had learnt not to feel bad for himself, but the accident that cost him his career left him feeling bitter and useless.
It took four years to get back on his feet, four years that felt like four decades, four years of pain, intense rehabilitation and therapy. The journey to recovery wasn’t easy, the cheque he wrote Dr. Nancy and her team the day he finished his sessions with them wasn’t enough to express the magnitude of his appreciation. They were all skilled professionals and had worked tirelessly to restore his mobility. Wole owes his entire life to the Physiotherapy unit at St. Mary’s, that’s why he’s sitted in the foundation’s lobby today. He had heard of the Scholarships they award yearly to financially struggling medical students across Nigeria and decided to make a generous donation. Only that his would be exclusive to Physiotherapy students. For some reason, he felt obligated to do this, it was his little way of ensuring the continuity of the profession. All the details of this donation were clearly printed in the folder he held. While waiting to be called in to see the Manager, he opened the folder and stared at the heading one last; ‘’Olawole Osonoki’s Donation for Nigerian Students studying Physiotherapy’’.
