'God don give me task to tok for pipo with cerebral palsy'

"God don give me task to tok for pipo with cerebral palsy."

Na so 29-year-old Esinkuma Allagoa lawyer wey be cerebral palsy warrior tok wen e siddon wit BBC Pidgin.

E say im decide to be lawyer to speak up for and encourage those wey dey like am, wey get cerebral palsy and oda developmental challenges so dem sef go get voice.

Wen im mama born am, Esinkuma no cry as new born pikin dey cry becos say im be pre-term pikin.

So, in di process of im management wey di medical personnel dey shake am and do oda interventions for am, im come bleed for brain and dis result to many health and developmental challenges. 

Doctors later diagnose say im get cerebral palsy.

 'Growing up no easy'

As pikin wey get cerebral palsy, Esinkuma say growing up no easy for am as e spend most of im time for hospital sake of one medical procedure or di oda.

"Growing up no easy at all but I go thank God and thank my parents becos without dis two, I no sure say I go dey hia today."

Esinkuma no start school for di age oda pikins dem dey start as e begin late wen im dey six years old becos im no fit use im hand and legs properly.

Dis coupled with di fact say most schools dat time no dey equipped to cater for pikin dem wey get developmental challenges like im get make am difficult for am but e get plenti support from im parents and family members.

"My family members get to carry me from house go school, from primary to secondary school even to university. My papa and some family members too. Dem dey carry me dey go school dey come back and assist me for many tins.

I remember for my university days, e get one class wey we dey take lectures e dey for di second floor upstairs so my coursemates go carry my wheelchair go up. Some times na my father go carry me go up and bring me come down."

Esinkuma observe say e no face any discrimination from oda students for im school days as dem play with am and involve am for wetin dem dey do but many of dem no understand im condition so sometimes dem dey ask am why e no fit stand up from wia e dey, but dem no abuse or curse am.

‘Goment suppose make policy of inclusion for pipo with cerebral palsy and oda development challenges’

Barrister Esinkuma Allagoa say wen e get di news say e don pass im bar exams and become lawyer, e no believe am.

"Wen I hear say dem don call me to bar I no fit tok. To be honest, na di third time I go write di exam naim di result come out say I don pass.

Dis na becos afta di first two times, I don tell myself say I no dey go write dis exam again but na my family naim push me say I must go back and now dem don call me to bar. Till now sef I no believe am."

Now Esinkuma dey committed to push advocacy for cerebral palsy warriors becos many of dem dey face plenti-plenti challenges and pipo no get di right information about am and so dem dey respond negatively to pipo with cerebral palsy.

"Pipo with cerebral palsy dey face many wahala. I don see case wey pesin dey lock im pikin wey get cerebral palsy inside house dey comot and e get four of dem; im dey lock dem inside dey comot.

Anoda one say if she get dat kain pikin, she go troway am. Dat kain situation dey ugly. Dis pipo na human being too and e no dey right to lock dem away like dat. So pipo need to dey educated so dem go get di right attitude about am.

Na for those pipo God don give me voice now to speak up for dem. Those pikin dem get potential. Just becos say im body weak no mean say im mind sef dey weak. If you train di mind, e go move and become better pesin tomorrow."

Esinkuma say while im hope to get job, im dey seriously advocate for pikins with cerebral palsy and oda developmental challenges like autism and down syndrome becos dem need goment, organisations and pipo to understand dia special needs. Dis naim make im start 'The Engraced Ones Foundation.’

"Goment policy dey for special needs children but di emphasis mostly dey on di blind, deaf and mentally challenged. Dem no dey focus on those of us with cerebral palsy, autism and down syndrome so goment need to look dat side too. So we need more advocates for dis set of pipo so dem go dey included.

Wen I go Supreme Court for my Call to Bar, you no go believe say for a place like Supreme Court, dem no get lift or ramp to take care of pesins like us. So dat no dey good becos indirectly, you no dey tok am, but na discrimination be dat."

To dat pesin wey get cerebral palsy, Barr. Esinkuma Allagoa dey ginger dem not to underestimate demsef but to pursue dia dreams and aspirations as dem get just one life to live and say dia dreams dey valid.

‘My joy overflow wen I see my son call to bar ' - Elizabeth Allagoa

For Mama of Esinkuma, she say she no get words to take describe how she feel wen she see her pikin call to bar.

Mrs. Elizabeth Allagoa wey be special education specialist say she see di practical aspect of wetin she study for school wen she born her son Esinkuma and im brother Emmanuel as di two of dem get cerebral palsy.

Mrs Allagoa say having two pikin with cerebral palsy really test her faith and knowledge.

Afta she born Esinkuma, she also born anoda pikin, a son Emmanuel. But three days afta birth, doctors say im get jaundice and dem begin treatment. E break her heart wen eventually im sef come dey diagnosed with cerebral palsy.

"Esinkuma own dey beta becos with physiotherapy, e fit use some of im motor skills, but Emmanuel dey totally dependent. God bless us with Emmanuel for 18 years before im call am home to rest.

Na one tin to know di theory, dat one dey very easy but to see di practical aspect and live with am day to day, na anoda ball game altogeda, but I see am say na God call me, I see am as ministry and wen I surrender to God e make di burden easy for me to carry. "

She say she and her husband face many challenges and even get advice to separate becos of dia children but God see dem through and now dem get pikin wey don be di first lawyer with cerebral palsy for dia State.

With her experience with her children and di experience of oda parents wey get pikins with cerebral palsy and oda developmental challenges like autism and down syndrome, she take up di task to advocate support for di warriors and also for dia parents and family members so dem no go harm dem as dem don see many cases wia parents of such children dey kill dem.

"Esinkuma don be symbol say sometin great fit come out of Cerebral palsy if you love and give dem di necessary care.

And we dey also advocate inclusion for dem. Make goment policy actively include dem as dem dey design buildings, develop school curriculum and evritin, make dem also know say pipo with dis developmental challenges dey and dem sef get sometin very useful to contribute too.”

She hope say Esinkuma go get job and a family of im own so e go settle down well.

Wetin be cerebral palsy?

Cerebral palsy na congenital disorder of movement, muscle tone or posture. E dey happen becos of abnormal brain development often before birth.

Pipo with cerebral palsy dey get problem with movement and posture and some also get some level of intellectual disability, seizures and abnormal physical sensations as well as oda medical disorders. Some of dem dey also get impaired vision or hearing with language and speech problems.

“Wetin dey cause am na infant infections wey dey cause inflammation for di brain or traumatic head injury as a result of accuse or very difficult Labour. But with treatment like physiotherapy and oda medical procedures like corrective surgery, dey help but dem need a lot of love and support.” Na so Esinkuma tok.