Imade was not born with any physical disability but at the age of five, she came down with a very high fever and then, Poliomyelitis.
She hadn't received immunization as a baby because her parents thought taking vaccines was not important, they had herbs and their traditional ways, to tackle any health problems that might arise.
The consequences of their outdated beliefs played out when Imade contracted polio. This was the disease that caused her paralysis and life-long disability which left her immobile.
Because she needed medical care always, she schooled within the Town and never went far from home, but she was a very brilliant student and kept it that way.
Imade was my classmate in secondary school and she carted away so many prizes that even I was envious of her. So one day while sitting on her wheelchair, her numerous prizes resting on her lap, I walked up to her to congratulate her.
"Congratulations Imade, I'm so happy for you", I said as I brought out my hands for a handshake.
"Thank you so much", she was beaming with smiles as she shook my hands. Her face lighted up greatly as the pressmen from the local newspapers arrived to interview her and to share her journey with the community.
One thing she said stood out from the rest,
"I don't let my disability stop me".
These words would continue to ring a bell for as long as I live, reminding me that limitations are only a creation of the mind through what we feed into it.
Thank you for the challenge.
