For Brown Uko Udoh, getting a prosthetic leg is more than a medical need. It is a chance to move with greater ease, earn a better living and shoulder the responsibilities of caring for his family.

Udoh, 56, has lived without a leg for nearly four decades after what initially appeared to be a harmless boil turned out to be cancer.

He recalled that the swelling first appeared in 1988 and gradually grew larger. Concerned, he sought medical attention, where a biopsy revealed that it was not a boil but sarcoma.

He was subsequently referred to the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), where doctors amputated his leg.

The amputation, which took place when Udoh was in his 20s, changed the course of his life. Since then, he has had to navigate adulthood, marriage, parenthood and the struggle to earn a living with one leg.

“Life has been tough. It has been very, very difficult,” he said.

Udoh is now appealing to Nigerians to help him raise N3.5 million for a prosthetic leg, which he believes would greatly improve his mobility and quality of life.

“I need an artificial leg. It is very difficult living without a leg,” he said.

Despite the challenges, Udoh did not allow his condition to stop him from building a family. He got married after the amputation, saying his wife accepted him despite his physical disability.

The couple now have three boys. But providing for his family and meeting the demands of raising three children have remained a difficult task.

“I’ve been coping with this situation. I’ve been managing without the leg, but it has been rough. It has been very rough,” he said.

Udoh currently sells garri and beans in small quantities from a shop along Liasu Road in the Akowonjo area of Lagos. The modest business provides him with a means of survival, but he said the income is barely enough to meet his needs.

For Udoh, a prosthetic leg could make a significant difference. Beyond restoring some mobility, he hopes it would enable him to move around more easily, improve his ability to work and ease the burden of providing for his family.

“I just want to be able to move better and support my family,” he added.

Udoh’s rehabilitation could be supportive through donations to his Access Bank account.

Name: Brown Uko Udoh; Account Number: 1808494873

He can also be reached on +2347017410378.