The First Hard Step

This introduction to my blog was harder than taking my first step after months of paralysis following a vehicle accident in Nigeria in September of 2007. During and after many months of hospitalization, my friends and mentors gave me Journals encouraging me to reap the benefit that comes from reflective journaling. Sadly these journals including the one from my benefactress Oprah Winfrey has remained blank. One of the reason for this reluctance is my inability to still my mind long enough to put one thought down. My mind runs more riotously than my life. My accident in a way is a blessing that has slowed me down physically and hopefully mentally enough to take stock of where I was coming from, where I am and where I go.

My mentor Kathryn Ward helped me set up this blog as a way to start the hard journey of being still enough to reflect and share my personal and professional journey. When it came to what name to call this blog, my mind as usual went hay wire. I was rescued thank God by my smart daughter Crystal who calmly said “Step by Step” Aha! Wisdom from the mouth of babes! This is exactly what I craved my life to be. Rather than the hydra steps I had taken in the past, taking too many steps and of course literally falling flat on my face. In this blog, I will try to share with my family, friends and colleagues among others the little steps I am taking in my life. Sometimes, I may take little steps back, stand still to regain my balance and focus on taking the next step. This is exactly what my physical, mental and spiritual rehab is about.

As much as I can, I will share with you tit bits of my life as a mother, sister, daughter, auntie, mentor, mentee, friend, colleague, executive director of Center for the Right to Health (Nigeria & USA), activist, student, survivor, and a paraplegic patient. These are who I am; I am truly rich and blessed. I am thankful to many persons too numerous to mention who have contributed to whom I am, but in the course of this blog, your names will emerge, not in any order of importance. I will share with words, pictures, voice and sometimes Vblogs. This will be one way to share my life with all of you who have shared your richly with me.

Not knowing exactly what next to share, I will share with you to the account mainly written by my friend and mentor Mike Egboh, Nigerian Country Rep, Pathfinder International. He was directly in the fore-front of ensuring that I received the best care possible the first critical weeks after my accident. (See Mike’s story). Here are a few pictures of me in my recovery journey.