I am a guy BUT i am a sickler and also unfortunately deaf, but guess what? I am a Graduate inspite!

By Kemi Mobuse - Friday, March 25, 2016


Hi, This story you are about to read is the true life story of a friend of mine who i happened to meet through someone else.Dealing with hearing issues is no small feat, let alone also being a sickler, i can say i am definitely proud of him, and i believe God has great and wonderful plans for him. Like i said, i am trying to find a way to help people share their stories and also, find a way to help. Frank can actually help, but with a BAHA Implant whose cost is above 5million. here is calling on the appropriate authority, and kind individuals who can help, to kindly get in touch......

His story after the jump.....

My name is Frank and here is my story! I was born and bred in the Eastern part of the country, and like every other Nigeria Child, I had a dream to excel, despite all Challenges life threw at me. Dad died early, so that left me with just a mother and a brother. I was coping fine with life the best I could as a Sickle cell Patient, I finished primary school and proceeded to College, determined to excel against all odds still. 

I was doing well until the 2nd term of my junior secondary two (JSS2) class. I had a meningitis attack and battled hard to survive, I WON! I came out alive, but not unscathed, I had lost my hearing. I felt like the world was crashing at my small feet, where was I going to start? A JS2 student with the world and future before him, what was I to do without my ears? I wept, I felt like I was the most unfortunate soul on earth, but that's fine. With the support from my family, I went back to school, a lot had changed, I had lost my hearing, and here was I sitting in the midst of people that won't just understand what it meant to be hearing impaired. 

I couldn't use a hearing aid, it was useless in my case, sensory neural hearing loss cannot be corrected with your conventional aid, so I learnt to adapt to my new world of deaf, SS patient. With the support from family and few friends, very few friends, I completed secondary school, I excelled! 

Now that I was through with college, what's next? Mum asked me. I wanted to go to the university, I want to be a graduate! I know I can do it, I believed in myself. Mum said no, I should go to a computer school, there's no way I'd be able to cope with the pressure and academic stress of the tertiary institution, but I stuck to my gun and bro supported me. Losing my hearing automatically transformed my once jovial and Merry fellow to an introvert, I found solace in isolation. 

Reluctantly, mum bought me a JAMB form, I filled and selected my course of choice: MASS COMMUNICATION! Mother laughed at the irony of it, a deaf child aspiring to be a journalist, it's alright. She gave me all the support I needed, reluctantly I read and prepared for JAMB, excitedly I wrote and Passed the exam, incredible! I proceeded to write the post UTME of my choice institution, THE UNIVERSITY OF NIGERIA, NSUKKA. surprise surprise, I passed too and was offered admission to study mass communication. 

Wow! That was when mother knew I was really serious about going to school. 

Frantically, we ran about in search of hearing aid that could help me in school, the search was futile, there was non and the only available alternative was too expensive to be considered. So once again, I entered the university a hearing impaired student in competition for grades with other healthy and hearing students.

My undergraduate days were terrible, but I had learned to love myself and carry on like I was God's favorite piece of creation. The nay Sayers said, getting admission wasn't the problem but graduating. 

I said fine, I started this fight, I'm going to finish it, and finish it I did. I graduated with my set, and received my B.A in mass communication (2nd class honours , lower division). 

The grade although bothered me, because I had aimed for something better, but I was consoled by the fact that I had proved the nay Sayers wrong, I was a graduate, A DEAF graduate, and I didn't have an extra year, na God win! 

I was mobilized for service with my set, and here I am serving in Lagos State, a corps member with less than a month to pass out, NA GOD WIN!!! I'm afraid of the future, I don't know what it has in store for me, it has been stiff competition for more than a decade for me. I still believe that, who knows, it will still end in praise. 

I see my life as a book, being written by God, I don't know what the story line is, what I'm however sure is, this book is going to be a best seller, watch out for it. 

I decided to share my story with the reading public to encourage those in my shoes, you can achieve what you want to achieve, challenge yourself, don't let fear rob you of your shine, dare to push a little, you are stronger than you give yourself credit for! If I could, YOU CAN DO BETTER!!!!

**You did well Frank! AM super proud of you and i applaud your courage, Thank You for sharing.

  • Share:

You Might Also Like

1 comments