World Cancer Day 2017: Cancer Survivor & Radio Girl Adenike Oyetunde Launches Amputees United To Commemorate the Day

As the world commemorates World Cancer Day, we join hands together with everyone who has felt the blight of this horrible disease. We continue to hope for a cure and pray that this scourge will be eliminated.

As a community, BellaNaija chooses to join the fight against cancer and its deadly effects. In that light, we are proud to announce that On Air Personality, Adenike Oyetunde is launching Amputees United – an initiative to provide support for amputees.

Adenike is a cancer survivor who continues to live her life like it’s golden. We shared her story here a few years ago. {Click here if you missed it} Adenike lost her right limb as a result of cancer but she has managed to live a full and wholesome life – inspiring people daily through her story.

Through Amputees United, she plans to provide support to amputees. She writes about life has been in the 11 years since her diagnosis and the amputation of her right limb.
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It has been eleven full years of living without the use of my natural right limb. And I’m wondering what if?

Honestly, I guess you’re wondering if I ever just hoped it all never happened.

I had, earlier on in my journey asked, what if? What if it never happened? What if it was all a dream, a very scary one too.

Yes, I had wished it was a dream. I had prayed to be woken up from that dream, but that hasn’t happened; at least not yet. I’m never shy of stating that. Oh please, don’t come at me with your ‘Christianese’. I miss my leg. I wish they were still together. I wish my hour glass frame *sneezes* was all together coordinated…See shape now!

What if, I never had to undergo the gruesome experience during chemotherapy?

What if my hair never had to fall?

What if my mum didn’t have to be humiliated, because, this one neighbor had made fun of her only child having one leg now?

What if I didn’t have to meet that one scary doctor, who I still believe may have had an interesting fetish, where all his girlfriends have one condition or the other? He clearly wanted to add me to his list.

What if I did I didn’t have to burden my friends to always pick me up, or drop me off after classes?

What if everyone didn’t have to scream at me, the first day I got on a bike?

What if the doctor who told me it was cancer, had been just a little nicer?

What if I didn’t have to watch my dad (my hero) cry, after we were informed?

What if we didn’t have to believe the hospitals weren’t sure with the diagnosis?

What if I didn’t have to waste so much time, and money moving from place to place, hoping the solution will come?

What if we didn’t have to finally see my leg get as large as a basketball, simply because we refused to amputate it?

What if we had the money to fly me abroad? Would my leg have been saved?

What if the government provided subsidized cancer treatments, and we didn’t run out of money as a family?

What if I didn’t need blood transfusion and that ex didn’t say no to donating blood?

What if it didn’t cost so much to have a limb made for me in Nigeria?

What if these limbs were as good as they look, at least, a number of them, now; back when I needed one?

What if I wasn’t denied access into banking halls, because of my prosthetic leg?

What if I didn’t get the stares, I didn’t get the many questions?

What if I didn’t get the – are you sure you will get married like this? Can you get pregnant?

What if I didn’t have to wear an attachment daily – my limb?

What if, after eleven years, I wasn’t just tired of wearing my limb?

What if you or your loved one, have been recently told that the only way out, will be to amputate that limb?

What if I didn’t have to fight the battle for my mental sanity all alone, by myself; for so many years unending?

I wouldn’t want them to go on this mental journey alone. I will love to help them wage through the storm, because honestly, I went through this, that I may help them on their journey.

We at the AMPUTEES UNITED INITIATIVE would love that you allow us hold hands together.

Let’s hold hands till you come to terms with your new reality.

Let’s hold hands, so you don’t have to suffer depression.

Let’s hold hands to inspire one another.

Let’s hold hands, so they know we can, despite our journeys.

And for this, my – what ifs, aren’t as valid, as they once seemed.

Please send us an email if you’ll like to join us on the journey. (Amputees ONLY) Please send your emails with your contact and stories.

Photo Credit
Photography: @sunnydaysmedia
Tshirt: @chyder5printshop
Makeup: @divabell_concepts
Edited: Sherif Lawal
Directed: Adenike Oyetunde