Before the strange incident, Adeosun Ayomide Oluwaseun, an ND2 student in the Mass Communication department at the Ogun State Institute of Technology, OGITECH, Igbesa, was a vibrant young guy.
On Sunday, November 20, 2016, the 20-year-old gifted musician, who balanced his studies with playing a talking drum, unexpectedly lost his right eye.
His dream of joining the military came to an end after that.
In an exclusive interview with Gift Oba, Oluwaseun describes how, despite being blind, he uses his talent, inventiveness, and intuition to navigate the world.
Oluwaseun attended his regular church service at the Cherubim and Seraphim (C&S), Orisun Iye Alaseyori, Papalanto, in the Ewekoro local government area of Ogun State, just like he does every other exciting Sunday.
The ten-year-old boy attempted to fix their apartment’s entrance door with a nail and hammer after realizing it was broken after returning from church.
Unfortunately, when the hammer struck the nail, it flew and struck his right eye. Sadly, the young boy who ignored it lost his eye as a result.
He narrated, “I discovered that our house door was faulty and after the regular Sunday service, I decided to repair the door, but in the process of hitting the nail, it flew and hit my right eye.
“My parents thought it was a minor issue, the eyes did not bleed, everything felt fine. I didn’t even feel pain until one week later while I was preparing for school. I closed my left eyes and that was when I discovered that I couldn’t see anymore with the right eye”.
Oluwaseun was brought to multiple hospitals in the hopes of finding a cure, but the harm had already been done. Then, in order to prevent brain damage, he was told to remove his right eye.
“We started visiting hospitals, we even went to several churches because we were looking for support and the doctor said we had just three days to operate the eyes since it was already affecting my brain.
“The doctor suggested that we get an artificial eye for N100,000 just so as not to disfigure my look, but we couldn’t afford it, there was no money”, he said in an emotion-laden voice.
Oluwaseun’s first obstacle after being accepted to OGITECH to study mass communications was not paying tuition or completing homework or other school-related tasks. Major was getting by without the parental supervision he was accustomed to at home.
He mostly uses his intuition to find his way around the school and occasionally misses his stride.
A student’s handicap sometimes makes it impossible for him to fulfill deadlines, making school tasks like organizing files and other administrative responsibilities extremely challenging.
“When I first got my admission, it was very difficult for me. Moving around inside the campus to submit files and do some documentation was a major challenge.
“Sometimes I think and feel bad because I know that if my condition is good, I will be able to do some things, but I don’t relent. I know what I want to achieve, so I keep pushing and trying all my best to become the best version of myself.
“I stay in long queues while trying to arrange my files. I do them myself, if I sent someone, I would keep doubting if it was done correctly. It’s stressful for me but I don’t have a choice. When I get home I can sleep for more than 5 hours because of the stress.
My disability, inspiration to pursue my studies, and love of music
He made the decision to devote himself fully to one of his interests, music, in light of his unexpected disability. Due to his lack of education, he encountered difficulties when learning to play the talking drum.
“After I lost my right eye, I decided to learn how to play talking drum and started visiting various places, but I knew that without education, I can’t flow in those places.
“Without education I don’t think I can get to the top. It will be very difficult, a situation where I can’t speak or write well, so I need to pursue my education so it can help me in life.
“Even when I started dealing with some clients, I noticed how they treated me and so I told my mom that I wanted to further my education. That was how I processed my admission.
He claims that his interest in music and education marked the beginning of his rehabilitation process.
“Once I am playing my talking drum, I am always happy. It’s my joy and first wife, anytime I carry it to play I am filled with joy. Once I’m down and I lift up my drum I’m filled with joy.
Despite not being born blind, Oluwaseun turned into a shadow of himself, mostly depending on his left eye, which is not as sharp as his missing right.
Oluwaseun dress regulations now include dark shades, not because it’s fashionable but rather because of stigmatization.
“I make use of dark shades while on campus, although it makes it hard for me to see. Sometimes I hit my foot over stones and fall down.
“It’s not recommended, but I use it to avoid having too many eyes on me. Once people notice that I have just one eye, they would just be looking at me plus the sun affects my eyes too,” he narrated in agony.
He clarified that even though wearing dark shades makes it hard for him to see well, he still goes ahead to prevent muttering and allow him to move freely.
“It is difficult for me to see when I wear the dark glasses but still I do it to avoid murmuring. It’s not easy for me to walk freely. I only use my recommended glasses during exam periods”, he said.
As a result, Oluwaseun, an Ogun State native, is requesting that the state government step in to provide a suitable and supportive learning environment for individuals with impairments.
He continued by saying that most facilities, particularly those in academic settings, lack fundamental conveniences that persons with impairments can use without assistance.
“I just hope the government can support me in my education, especially when it comes to paying my school fees. I would really love that.
“I have always wanted to be a soldier, but when I lost my eye I was told that I can’t be accepted because I’m disabled. So I relented”, he lamented.
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