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Smart Jassa Edugie is a 40 year old man. He was 28 years old when he got his wound. In 2007 he got injured while on the job. Smart narrated that he was a driver for a logging company and that during the process of offloading the trees they had cut, one fell on his leg leaving a 4 cm in diameter wound. According to him the skin broke and his flesh came out. His employer took him to St. James Hospital, where an incision was made along side the wound and attempts to suture failed on more than one occasion. His employer not knowing what else to do asked the family to seek help elsewhere.

His family took money from his employer and they took him to a woman in Usen where he spent months. He explained that the woman, every morning brought a syringe full of kerosine and lime to squirt on the wound. This continued until the wound spread from his ankle to his hip and full of pus, which dripped down his leg. He also found that he could no longer stand, his leg had contracted and crawled on his stomach out of the place at night in fear of his life. When found, his family was called to remove him from the location.  He was then taken to the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) where he was rejected. Not knowing what else to do, his family took him home to die.  Smart insisted they take him back to UBTH and throw him on the ground and leave him. He said, a nurse found him and offered to help clean the leg of the dead skin. His family carried him into the ward. He further narrated that every morning the nurse chained both hands and his right leg and poured bleach on the leg until virtually nothing was left, but his bone and a bit of flesh hanging. At that point, the hospital said there was nothing else they could do for him and asked him to leave. With no money and unable to pay the bill, since Smart had been hospitalized for over a year, the hospital then seized him until payment was made. He continued to stay there untreated until a good Samaritan paid his bill and he left. Not able to work and with no income he took to the streets begging for money, which he used to buy medicine and bandages to treat himself. According to him even family members will not help him. Smart lived with his aged father, who also has no income. He continued to treat himself until part of his bone broke off.

Part of Smart’s bone from his left leg which came out on its own

At some point, a friend advised him to go to St Vincent De Paul of St. Paul Catholic Church for help. They put him on a monthly stipend of N4000,00 (Four Thousand Naira and zero kobo) to assist with his care. After a while the organization took him to two separate private doctors to assess the wound and both recommended amputation. Smart refused for his leg to be cut.

As Smart struggled to treat himself, he found that he could no longer cope. The foul smell from the leg due to the infection, caused flies to follow him around and he became ill from it. Depressed and miserable (his wife left him with their daughter and took everything with her, leaving him on the ground with nothing), not knowing what else to do, he went back to St. Vincent De Paul seeking for help to amputate his leg, he had had enough. The church having received the flyer for the free wound care mission from Omosede Global Foundation, sent him our way for help.

On Wednesday, May 22, 2019, Charity Wound Care, Incorporated, USA collaborated with Omosede Global Foundation and the Nigeria Police Medical Services for a one day wound care mission.

Mrs. Joyce Aghedo, Wound Care Specialist/Clinical Director with Charity Wound Care Incorporated, USA, treated Smart, She made her observation that the leg was good and will heal despite its condition. After the Mission, Smart was handed over to the police Cottage Hospital for continued care. Since he came through the program he became an Omosede Global Foundation responsibility to see him to the conclusion of his care. The Foundation became responsible for his bills, his medication and supplies for treatment. Prior to coming for the mission, Smart had not had any professional care for five years.

On Friday, June 7, 2019, Dr. Kenneth Atoe who donates his time and skills to the Foundation and Omololu Ojehomon both, members of the Board of Trustees, went to observe Smart’s care. It was noted that a growth which extended from the outer left thigh needed to be addressed to allow healing of the entire leg. Smart was placed on Antibiotics and supplements to assist with healing.

On Saturday, June 8, 2019 samples were taken from the four quadrants of the growth on the outer thigh area of the left leg and taken to a laboratory for histology. The wound was debride by Dr. Kenneth Atoe. The results of the histology of samples given a week later, stated no evidence of malignancy.

On Monday, June 10, 2019, we observed that the wound was clean, and regenerating. The foul smell that came from the wound had disappeared. While we calmed Smart down during the cleaning of the wound, he said, “mamaaa I can take the pain. I have gotten my dignity back. For the first time, I can get on a bus without someone shouting on the driver if he carried a dead animal and get thrown off the bus. Because of the smell, I have vomited many times until blood came out of my mouth. I never believed that God will be this kind to me. I cannot afford any of these medicines given to me or used on me. When I look at my leg it’s like magic. This is the first time flies are not following me around. God will bless all of you for helping me.”

Dr. Kenneth Atoe, had to debride the wound in sections with no facility to operate on Smart. He debride the right quadrant of the outer left thigh on Tuesday, June 18, 2019 and the left quadrant of the outer left thigh on Friday, June 21, 2019, On, Thursday, July 4, 2019, it was observed that the abnormal growth had started to form again, a final debridement was done by Dr. Kenneth Atoe.

We also found out that because he has little or no money and coming all the way from the upper Siloko, Egor Local Government Area in Edo State, which takes him about an hour by bus. He then walks with the aid of crutches from Ring Road to Dennis Osadebey Avenue for treatment and back. This trek took Smart about 3 hours on crutches. Omosede Global Foundation began picking and dropping him off at the bus stop where he can get a bus straight to his village and assisted with some transport money and food.

Without help or assistance from family, relatives or friends, Smart spent most of his days at the University of Benin main gate begging for money, which caused his leg to swell and slow down healing. We collaborated with St. Vincent De Paul, and they agreed to give him a stipend of seven thousand naira monthly to help with transport and feeding. Smart was then advised to get more rest and take his medication as prescribed.

On Wednesday, July 10, 2019,  Smart’s care was moved to Omosede Global Foundation to properly manage his treatment and provide the meticulous care needed for this case.  Smart has continued to get treatment till date and will do so until complete healing.

As part of our program to reintegrate him back into the society, Omosede Global Foundation collaborated once again with St. Vincent De Paul and paid six months’ rent for a room Smart found himself. When Omosede Global Foundation went to inspect it, we found that the room was not conducive for Smart to live in and that he will get sick under such condition. The Board, decided to renovate it at the Foundation’s expense to a standard livable.

The following were achieved: a new ceiling, new door, replaced broken louvers, installed window and door protectors for his safety, electricity installed, repaired wall and painted room, repaired floor, cleaned room and installed vinyl carpet. On Monday, October 21, 2019, Smart’s room was finished and the keys handed to him.

Concerned about Smart being alone, the Foundation got him a phone, so he could be reached and he could communicate when he needed to.

His leg has regenerated 65% and healing. At 92% Smart will begin his skills training classes to fend for himself and be independent of others. By next year when the leg is fully healed, Smart will have surgery to straighten the contraction at the knee. Smart has also started catechism classes to get baptized.

It is all worth it to see the smile on Smart’s face.

To help Smart with his wound care and get surgery, please donate to:

Omosede Global Foundation, UBA 1022026867