Needs a lifeline; sends SOS to C-River Gov. Imoke, public-spirited Nigerians

By Favour Nnabugwu

Mad cow disease or Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy, BSE, is a transmissible, slowly progressive, degenerative, and fatal disease affecting the central nervous system of adult cattle.  Researchers believe the infectious agent that causes mad cow disease is an abnormal version of a protein normally found on cell surfaces, called prion. For reasons still unknown, this protein becomes altered and destroys nervous system tissue such as the brain and spinal cord.

The disease causes a cow to act strangely and lose control of its ability to do normal things. During such madness, the cow attacks anything that comes its way including human beings. Daniel Imo Emori, 31, was attacked by a mad cow at Fegge, near the River Niger Head Bridge in Anambra State, on October 10, 2003, where he had gone to work to raise money to further his education after his SSCE in his home state, Cross River.

Daniel was working in a pharmaceutical company as a delivery van driver, after undergoing six months training.   He was on duty that fateful day when he disembarked from his truck in Fegge to attend to a company’s client when a mad cow emerged from nowhere, knocked him to the ground and dragged him some meters before it let him go. That was the beginning of his travail. He has been bed-ridden now for the past 11 years having been diagnosed with cervical spine, a neck injury leading to the weakness of the limbs and parts of the body from the waist downwards paralysed. Even his fingers are lifeless.

Daniel believes God has plans for him to still be alive in his sorry state. “I even wonder why I am still alive because half of my body is totally cold, just like a dead body,” the victim told Sunday Vanguard. “Perhaps God has a reason for keeping me alive all these years, and that is why I refuse to question Him, much as I am tempted to do so every single day of my 11 years in this situation.”  He was 20 years when the incident happened eleven years ago but, today, Daniel is cocooned in a small room in Dutse Makatanta, a suburb of the FCT, Abuja, lying virtually motionless. Anyone would think Daniel has AIDs at the sight of him. His skin is dry. Lying face-up in his confinement with only a piece of loincloth to cover his waist, the 31-year-old from Adadama in Abi Local Government Area of Cross River State can hardly couple a sentence together as he struggled to narrate his pathetic story with tearful eyes.

His story

“It was after my SSCE in 2000 that I travelled to Onitsha, Anambra State in search of a job. I worked in a pharmaceutical company. The fateful, October 10, 2003, I was sent to deliver some goods to a customer at Fegge, close to River Niger Bridge Head, who had paid for a large quantity of goods. On arrival, we spent three hours waiting, but when she did not show up, I spoke to the three truck attendants that instead of spending the whole day waiting for the woman, it was better for us to go and deliver some goods to another customer before coming back to her.

“While reversing the truck, another customer approached us to say he needed some of the drugs. So, I stopped the vehicle and jumped down to attend to him. It was at that point that a cow emerged from nowhere and ran towards me. Before I could close the door of the vehicle, it lifted me with the horns and ran some distance carrying me. As people were shouting, the cow knocked me on the ground hard and that was the beginning of this problem. I was rushed to a nearby clinic, but the doctor in charge referred us to the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, UNTH, Enugu, the following Saturday.

“On arrival at the hospital, I was not attended to until the following Monday, when a consultant saw me. He told me that I had internal injuries and needed to undergo surgery. He requested for an emergency fee of N75, 000 before I could be treated.   I could not afford the fee, so I was there for five months without being operated upon, from October 12, 2003 to March 13, 2004 when I requested that I should be discharged. I was given a bill of about N100, 000 for bed space and drugs, but the operation was not done due to the emergency fee which I could not afford.

“I could still not afford the bill until one of the matrons from my state stood surety for me with an undertaking that the hospital should be deducting the money from her salary. That was how I left the hospital by first week of April for my village, Adadama in Abi Local Government Area of Cross River State.

“During this agonizing period in that hospital, my employer, RICOL Pharmaceutical Company, never acted like I was in their company even though a casual worker who got into the trouble in line of his duty. “They sent somebody to visit me in the hospital. But after the bill was presented to him, he never showed up again.

“During my stay in the village, I had an encounter with a journalist who posted my story on Facebook narrating my plight. It was through his report that a non – governmental organization, NGO, Damaris Mailer Foundation – came to visit me in my village.

“The Foundation is based in Adamawa State under the supervision of Rev. Charles Munso Asiedu of LifeLink Outreach Ministry. They took me from there and brought me to Primus Hospital, Karu where I was admitted and operated upon after paying an initial emergency fee of N150, 000. They also paid N200, 000 for cervical spine surgery and other money for urethra repair and surgery amounting to N1.6million.

“The surgery was done on February 10, 2013 and I was discharged on June 3 this year. It is the Foundation which rented this apartment where I live now at N150, 000 per annum. They also employed a caregiver for me, Emmanuel Michael, and placed him on a monthly allowance of N12,000, while, on my part, they pay me N22,000 every month as upkeep and maintenance allowance”.

Daniel winced in agony as he continued his story.

“I am the fifth child from a family of eight. I lost my father who could no longer bear the heart shattering condition of his son some years after the incident. “My father retired from the civil service to take care of me. But he died when he could no longer stand it. He was a mechanic and driver. Now I am left with an aged mother and my brothers who are not in a position to assist me.”

Confirming the victim’s story, the spokesperson for the NGO, Rev. Charles Asiedu, a Senior Pastor with World Life Link Outreach Ministry, said Daniel’s case was pathetic and the foundation was touched by his plight and decided to offer a helping hand. “The NGO, Damaris Mailer Foundation, based in Adamawa State, got information about Daniel on Facebook and decided to intervene,” he told Sunday Vanguard

Asiedu said on phone, “The NGO is based in Adamawa State and has been reaching out to orphans, widows and the less privileged in the past seven years”. He, however, said the Foundation can no longer foot Daniel’s bill.

Asiedu had paid the fees for Daniel’s treatment to Optimal Health Centre, Wuse, Abuja which the hospital claimed was heavily discounted.

The treatment, according to the hospital, was to prevent further complications that may arise due to immobility; to strengthen weakened limbs, restore normal physiologic anatomic properties of the muscle and joints, break contractures; retrain sitting, standing walking and generally restore functional abilities.

The hospital, in a letter titled, ‘To whom it may concern’ dated October 12, 2014, signed by the General Manger, Mr Dan Udoji, said Daniel needs over N5million for it to continue the young man’s treatment for one year.

The letter, with reference No OHCIL/GM/DI-001/141017, reads, “As part of our corporate social responsibility, Optimal Health Centre Int’l has offered him physical rehabilitation at a heavily discounted rate. However, Mr Emori Daniel will need to raise the same of N5,184,000.00 (Five Million, One Hundred and Eighty-Four thousand Naira) to be able to continue this treatment for the next one year”.

Daniel said he wrote to his state governor, Liyel Imoke, on which Cross River State Ministry of Health acted through the directive of the Commissioner of Health but with a clause. The letter, with reference No CRS/MH/MD/144/vol. 111/ 65,   dated 26th March 2009 signed by one Dr Chris E. Ita, insists on a medical report from a teaching or General Hospital.

It reads, “With reference to your letter, dated February 8 , 2009, to His Excellency, I have the directive from the Commissioner for Health that you should forward to this office a medical report from a Teaching Hospital or a General Hospital for further action”

Since then, according to Daniel, there has not been any action from the state government save the governor’s wife, Mrs Obioma Liyel Imoke, who, through her Personal Assistant, sends him  N10,000 and sometimes recharges his phone.

Daniel’s medical report issued by the medical superintendent and Head, Medical Services of Primus Hospital, Dr. E.O Emod,i reads: “Neck injury leading to weakness of all four limbs. He also presented with pressure sores and ulcer on his penis. He underwent cervical spine surgery and urethra repair on October 2, 2013. He was discharged on June 3, 2014 in stable condition. He has been on regular follow-up and he is advised physiotherapy and medication”.

After undergoing successful surgeries, the doctors said he could walk again if he continues with physiotherapy and medications.

Here is a chance for kind-hearted Nigerians to make a difference in this young man’s life. The doctors assured that though Daniel has been in this sorry state for 11years, he chances of walking again are very bright if only he gets adequate and continued medical attention which requires money.

Daniel Imo Emori’ s account details are as follows: Fidelity Bank account number 6160829205. He can be reached on his mobile phone numbers 08098929156 & 08086387108.