Accident victim begs Nigerians for speaking and hearing aid

WITH his pen, slate, a medical report from Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH) and a worn-out photocopy of an old newspaper article, once published in the past, Mr. Femi Samuel Tersoo Yaweh explained his ordeals to The Guardian.

Like every caring husband and father would venture out for his daily bread and welfare of his loved ones, Femi Tersoo Yaweh, a Tiv from Benue State, once embarked on a journey that cost him his hearing and also took away his voice.

Tersoo Yaweh, according to the almost faded-out newspaper in the folder where he keeps his medical report and other documents as he walks around the capital city of Ondo State, begging for alms, is an automobile engineer, who was trained by the National Directorate of Employment (NDE) some years back.

On that fateful day, April 3, 1996, Samuel, who is married to an Edo woman, Joy Samuel and with three kids- two boys and a girl- was involved in a ghastly motor accident on the Zaria -Kano highway, when he travelled in his Mercedes Benz to buy some merchandise for sale- a heavy-duty truck carrying sand rammed into his car.

The truck driver died on the spot while Samuel hit his head against a hard object and remained conscious for some time. He was rushed to a hospital where his head was operated upon, but only to discover he had lost his voice and hearing to the accident.

The medical report dated January 10, 2015, with Reference Number: JUTH/MR/2015/534 and signed by Dr. A.S. Adoga, the Consultant ENT Surgeon of the Jos University Teaching Hospital, Jos, confirmed that Samuel developed bilateral hearing loss after the road traffic accident.

The report partly reads: “Examination revealed a young man, hard of hearing bilaterally; normal external ears. Turning fork test revealed positive Rinne’s test and Centralised Weber’s test. Audiological assessment revealed bilateral profound hearing loss. Patient heard faintly with hearing aid and would benefit from high powered hearing aid.”

The estimated cost of processing bilateral high powered BTE to solve the speaking and hearing problems are as follows: “PTA N500.00, BTA (B) N50, 000.00, Ear-mould (B) N20, 000.00, food, transport and pocket money for one month in hospital N30, 000.00.

Samuel appealed to the government, corporate organisations, philanthropists and all Nigerians to come to his rescue and that of his family as the burden of the family is too much for his wife, Joy, who alone takes care of their children. Ayo, the eldest child is in JSS2 and his younger twin brother and sister, Esther and Amos, are in Primary Six.

The man, who stays with his family in Iju town, Akure North Local Council but comes to Akure often to beg for alms, told The Guardian that he is a born-again Christian and also appealed to members of The Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) to come to his rescue and help raise the N100, 500.00 for his treatment.

For assistance, people can pay into: Enterprise Bank Plc. Account Name: Samuel Tersoo Yaweh. Account Number: 2404002237 or call 08101955611.