Dr. Hanny Joshua with wife in church during their wedding thanksgiving
Read and see more pictures as shared after the cut.....
By Omen Bassey
Last week, I was almost moved to tears as I read the story of a young
crippled student of St. Vincent Secondary School, Otioro who had the
courage to approach members of Oro International Youths Forum for
support as they visited his school on educational enlightenment
campaign.
I contacted the President, Noble Sunday Odokwo to signify me intention of joining the team which would visit him today.
Sitting there in the Principal's office with the young brilliant boy
and members of Oro International Youth Forum, I could imagine how he
feels when his peers run around and he's stuck on one spot, needing help
to move around. Even his right hand is paralyzed.
I told him a story of my friend Joshua Hanny. He
was my secondary school classmate but crippled. He couldn't even afford
the luxury of a wheelchair. He used to literally crawl quite a distance
to school as the school was bereft of boarding facilities. He was
physically challenged but mentally and spiritually sound.
He was a
science student par excellence.
Hanny was determined to succeed
in life.Without a sponsor, he sought admission to study Medicine in the
University of Calabar. Having gained admission to study his preferred
course, the University Senate introduced a discriminatory policy which
barred those who were physically challenged from studying Medicine and
Surgery. That would have meant Hanny looking for something else to
study. But Hanny would not accept the decision of man over his
destiny. The decision was reversed in his favour. He sought and gained
admission without a guaranteed source of sponsorship.
He asked
God for help and God connected him with a Christian family which
supported him financially. Today, he's Dr Hanny Joshua, a Resident
Doctor at the University of Uyo Teaching Hospital.
A few weeks ago, I was at his wedding Thanksgiving Service at Assemblies of God Church, Afaha Okpo, Oron.
Dr Hanny Joshua didn't just study the course of his dream, he married a
woman of his dream. A beautiful, Spirit filled, scriptures saturated
believer who holds a Second Class Upper Degree in Applied Chemistry from
Ladoke Akintola University, Ogbomosho.
The lady held the audience spell
bound as she gave an elaborate testimony of their miraculous marriage.
There was a scripture for almost every line of the long but inspiring
testimony.
Today, Hanny Joshua is happily married and driving
around in his own car. He has achieved almost everything everyone is
working hard for.
We were a class of over 100 students. Hanny is
the only Medical Doctor produced by it. He's one of the most successful,
if not the most successful member of the class. Some of his able bodied
classmates and family members will need his help in a society where the
physically challenged depend on the able bodied for survival.
So, I told my new friend that he cannot fail unless he's defeated in his
mind. The ultimate disability is mental disability. "Poor are those who
have eyes but cannot see" Luis Marques. "The only thing worse than
being blind is having sight but no vision".
Everything we are enjoying in the world today were conceived by sound minds, not necessarily seeing eyes and walking legs.
We've seen successful blind, deaf and crippled people in the world. And
we are surrounded by able bodied men and women who waste their physical
abilities in unproductive living.
I told him that one constant
and recurrent character in Dr Hanny Joshua's story is God. If you have
God, you've got everything, your physical circumstance not withstanding.
He doesn't have a father but he has God, the Owner of heaven and earth.
I pray God to replicate the story of Dr Hanny Joshua in the life of my young, ambitious friend.
I hope to attend his convocation and wedding in the nearest future.
Jesus is Lord.
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