Mysterious Affliction: How Healthy Family is Afflicted with Blindness and Paralysis
The mysteries of life continue to confound us. Recently, in Nsukka, Enugu State, the tragic story of a family beset by a mysterious illness highlights life’s unpredictability. This is the reality for the family of 75-year-old Edwin Eze from Umabor village, Eha-Alumona community, Nsukka Local Government Area.
In this family, the father is blind while three of his sons suffer from withered limbs and are unable to speak. The burden of caring for the family has fallen on their 60-year-old mother, the only family member without a disability.
Hope arrived for this troubled family when Prof. Mrs. Victoria Onu, Head of the Department of Special Needs Education at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, encountered them and generously took on their care.
A Ray of Hope
Prof. Mrs. Onu, the first female professor of creativity in Africa, has been supporting the family for the past eight years. She recounted, “I didn’t know the family before. The severe health challenges of the father and his three sons, who have impaired vision, withered limbs, and are speechless, moved me deeply. They lived in a single-room mud house, where the mother struggled to feed them. I now provide them with food, medication, and a toilet facility. Their resilience is remarkable, but they need urgent assistance to feel a sense of belonging,” she emphasized.
Prof. Onu called on federal, state, and local governments, as well as donor agencies, churches, philanthropists, and NGOs to aid the family.
The Eldest Son Speaks Out
At the family compound, 45-year-old Eze Edwin Onyebuchi, the eldest son, shared their story from his wheelchair. He praised Prof. Mrs. Onu for her continuous support over the past eight years, providing food, medication, and other essentials.
“I learned to repair phones but lacked the funds to start a business until Prof. Onu helped us establish a small poultry farm, which was later stolen. We were born healthy in Enugu. I cooked with my mother the night before but couldn’t stand the next day. My legs gradually shrank until I was paralyzed. My parents spent all their resources seeking treatment for me in various hospitals in Enugu.”
“As my condition worsened, my younger brothers Sunday, 37, and Izuchukwu, 30, developed similar symptoms. Our father later became blind. We lived on God’s mercy until Prof. Onu began supporting us with food and medication.”
A Plea for Help
“We were born healthy and attended Marist College, Okigwe, Imo State before these problems started. We appeal to the government for assistance. Any help is appreciated as we currently rely solely on Prof. Onu.”
Prof. Onu has been constructing a water closet for the family and had helped establish a small poultry farm. She continuously provides food and medication. The family is appealing for help from philanthropists, NGOs, and private individuals to sustain their livelihood.
In a brief interview, Mrs. Mary Ugwoke Eze, the mother, expressed her gratitude to Prof. Onu for her support over the years and descr
ibed the family’s struggle.
