Ibeadua Judith Chioma, a physically disabled married mother of three, has stepped forward to relate her experience. She disclosed to BBC NEWS PIDGIN that she had just completed her NYSC programme and had previously studied computer science. She claimed that while in secondary school, she had been told that medical schools wouldn’t accept people like her, which had discouraged her from following the degree. Originally, she had planned to practise medicine.
The mother of three claims that although she got married in 2018 while enrolled in her second year of polytechnic, her husband’s support and encouragement allowed her to continue her study. She said her husband has been a great source of financial and home assistance for her given her situation. Ibeadua revealed, however, that when her husband chose to wed her, his mother enlisted the help of neighbours to beat him up. She claimed that one of the many reasons she is so happy with her spouse is because despite the setbacks and difficulties he faced on her behalf, he never gave up on her.
Ibeadua continued by claiming that she wasn’t born disabled and that her issue began when she was around 4 years old. She also said that because her parents passed away when she was 6 years old, she is unable to recall what truly happened to her. Her step sister took her in when her parents passed away and supported her through education through JSS 3. She admitted that she had considered quitting school after the birth of her second kid due to stress, but she later recognised that doing so wouldn’t help her succeed.