Joy, a History and International Studies student of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, who was disabled from birth said she was diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy.
According to her, the condition has made her unable to perform many physical activities, making her dependent on people.
Narrating her story to Legit.ng, Joy said: “I am the fourth child out of six children in my family. I am physically challenged. I’m unable to perform some physical activities and I am almost totally, physically dependent on people around me. I am a Christian. I hate self-pity, I don’t give up easily.”
PS: Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a genetic condition that makes the muscles weaker and causes problems with movement.
UK NHS
However, despite her physical disability and the limitations, it placed on her, Joy has moved on amazingly with her life.
Against all odds, Joy has found love and is happily married to Oshian Abraham Goodnews.
Her husband who dropped out from Delta State University due to lack of funds has said he passionately loves his wife as he describes her as the best thing that has ever happened to him.
His words: “My wife is the best thing that has happened to me. She is everything I have got. I am so happy. I fell head over heels. I can’t describe the joy I feel inside. I feel fulfilled and blessed.”
When he was asked how they knew each other and connected so powerfully to the admiration and applause of many, He answered:
“I met my wife on Facebook. We had a chat and she was so real. I visited her from Delta state to Anambra state where she was working. Honestly, I started growing the love. We lost communication at some points, but we got back together again.”
Because of his decision to stick with and marry Joy, Goodnews said he lost some friends who would rather part ways with him than support him.
Then came the greatest news which Joy herself has described as a mystery. She said she never thought it was possible and she feared she could give birth to a deformed child.
But it came to pass that she got pregnant, carried her baby successfully for 9 months and gave birth to a healthy baby boy.
“Carrying my own baby is my greatest achievement on earth, a dream come through and an answered prayer,” she said.
When Joy was asked if was she able to bear the physical stress of carrying a baby with her disability., she said: Honestly, I had no much challenges during pregnancy. I was 24 weeks pregnant before I had my first pregnancy test and I never went for antenatal until then.
“I was just living my normal life, going about my daily activities. I was in my first year in school then. I had much stress and no rest, and I had no time to eat sometimes. I had few hours of sleep. I ride my wheelchair under hot sun sometimes to my department but I was very strong.”
The biggest challenge she had was when she started transiting to the hospital for her antenatal visits.
She recalled how she struggled then: “I started going for antenatal at six months and doctors confirmed that I was doing great. My worst challenge then was mobility and discrimination from some physically able people around.
“I remembered that in some occasions I had to stand and wait for long to see a bus that will allow me to sit in the front seat which was my only comfortable place to sit because of my condition. We had to pay extra money for the drivers to carry my wheelchair.”
She continued her story of resilience: “At the hospital, some nurses wouldn’t want to attend to me. I had to wait for a nurse who may want to give me attention. The same with some doctors.
On my day of delivery, they demanded extra pints of blood but I had none. The doctors were really amazed at how successful God made it be.”
Credit
Legit
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