There are blessings in disability, says father of polio survivor

For Frank Arenyeka, the journey in disability is not an easy task but something that could be turned to a blessing in the society if adequate measures were put in place. He narrated his ordeal at when a Rotary Youth Exchange returnee from Germany was briefing members of the Rotary Club of Agege.

According to him, his son had been infected with polio in 1986 when he was two years old. He hinted that his son had felt ill and was running temperature when his wife decided to take him to the hospital.

“The first thing they gave him instead of running a test to know his ailment was injection, and that instantly paralyses his body from the west downward.

“When I got back and saw him in that condition I was sad. When I saw the doctor, he was just apologizing that it was a mistake. But because he was our family doctor I just had to let go. If it were to be in the United Kingdom, I would have sued the hospital.

“Today, the rest is history as the child so became intelligence that he was acknowledged everywhere he went. When he decided to study medicine abroad, we allowed him and he became the best at his school that everyone loved him. He is a genius and his wedding is this weekend. Disability is not an excuse for a child not to succeed. You can imagine what would have happened if we abandoned him. Some of these challenged children are +genius; they only need all the support they could get.

He added that the Nigerian government should emulate the international government by giving special support and care to the disabled. “Polio is one of the motivating factors I joined Rotary club. I was passionate about putting an end to polio. Rotary has paid a very prominent role in polio eradication in Nigeria and the government should sustain.”

Also speaking, President Rotary Club of Agege, Rotarian Emmanuel Eneh, said the youth exchange was an annual programme of the association where they encouraged the youths to be good ambassador of the country.

“Akingbeyin Tamilore was in Germany for one year on Rotary Youth Exchange. This is a forum where Rotarians from all over the world exchange youths for visit, so, she is the only youth from Nigeria and she is from Rotary club of Agege. She went to Germany to associate with other interacts. Rotary affords opportunity for youths to travel abroad and experience what happens there.”