Madam Kemi Joseph was a famous actress in the defunct TV programs on Nigeria Television Authority (NTA). She was Balogun’s Sister on the Village Headmaster, Madam Africana on Second Chance and acted on other TV programs. She was also a Master of ceremonies at engagements and weddings in Lagos.

She lost her legs in 2016 and 2018, respectively, due to the complications of Diabetes. The 62 years old former actress is now a wheelchair user and no longer in demand for any of the previous activities she had engaged in as her career. She resides in Lagos. Kemi had been waiting for the opportunity to walk again.

Receiving a pair of prosthetic limbs helped her regain her autonomy and independence. Her joy at standing again on two legs was indescribable.

Mrs Quadri is 55 years old. She developed Diabetes in 1994. Following an accident in 2005, the legs refused to heal and became gangrenous, resulting in the first amputation. Mrs Quadri, a domestic violence victim, separated from her abusive husband in 2011 when her life became at risk. She was left to care for her three children.
Due to improper care, her second leg was amputated in 2018. Life has been challenging for her, with her children carrying her around. The Foundation provided her with a wheelchair in 2020 while waiting for the opportunity for prosthetic limbs. She received a small token for COVID Relief Support during the lockdown when she could not feed herself and her children.
Mrs Quadri desired to regain her autonomy and become productive in caring for her children. She is in the process of her rehabilitation. Learning to walk again has been a challenge for her; therefore, she required the support of a physiotherapist to facilitate her gait training. She received N150,000 as a seed fund to start her business again and be independent.

Lizzy was 25 years old when a car hit her on her way to work at Expression Weave-on Factory on June 13th, 2016. Those at the scene where she was treated initially took her to the hospital. The doctors recommended a rod implant in her leg to stabilise the fractured bone and enable it to heal. But her parents could not afford the cost of the surgery, so they chose the seemingly cheaper option. They took her to the Traditional Bone Setter (TBS). It was too late when the TBS realised the treatment required was beyond his skills. The fracture had been mismanaged. Lizzy was taken back to the hospital, where the leg had to be amputated. The inadvertent cost of the delay was that most of the leg had to go leaving Lizzy with a tiny stump.

Lizzy’s story is another clear case of mismanagement of a limb fracture resulting in an amputation that could have been avoided. This situation highlights the urgent need for awareness creation. Her doctors could have saved her leg if her parents had known the consequences of mismanaged fractures.
Lizzy received a prosthetic limb in 2017, which improved her autonomy and self-esteem. Unable to continue her education as she desired, Lizzy began hairdressing in her sitting room. She received a seed fund from the Foundation in 2020 to set up her hairdressing salon.
She received the replacement prosthetic limb and enrolled in entrepreneurial training sponsored by the Foundation.

Grace is 46 years old. She has had Diabetes since childhood. She fell in her bathroom in 2016 and sustained injuries that refused to heal well because of the underlying history of Diabetes. Her leg was amputated later that year at Lagos University Teaching Hospital due to complications.

It has been a traumatic experience for Grace, who must use crutches to move about in Lagos. Providing a prosthetic limb will facilitate Grace’s mobility and restore her autonomy.

Grace Udo has completed the fitting processes and collected her limb from the Feet of Grace Foundation. She is currently moving around with a pair of elbow Crutches and promised that soon she would be able to use a walking stick.

Helen discovered a growth at the corner of her toe. An inconclusive diagnosis resulted in the amputation of her toe. Unfortunately, the situation worsened, and the leg was amputated below the knees in 2018. It took time to heal due to her diabetic condition. Helen’s family could not afford the cost of the prosthetic limb she urgently needed to make her more mobile and autonomous. She was currently using a walker to move around.

Helen received her first prosthetic limb from the Foundation and is now moving around freely, supporting her daughter and grandchildren.

She is 46 years old widow who was previously based in South Africa. She returned to Nigeria to relocate her daughter to South Africa when she had an accident on December 12^th, 2013. As a result of the accident, Suliat’s leg was amputated on December 18th, 2013, at the Igbobi Orthopaedic Hospital.

Life has been extremely difficult for Suliat and her three children since she lost her leg and husband. She is currently involved in hairdressing and petty trading. Getting a prosthetic limb will contribute to an improvement in her mobility and life in general. Suliat also needs seed funds to expand her trading to enhance the food security for her household and support her children’s education.

Suliat received her prosthetic limb, enrolled in entrepreneurial training and was given 150,000 as a seed fund to start her business again.

Olawunmi is a graduate of the Department of Microbiology, University of Ilorin. The 28 years old Secondary School Teacher lives in Ibadan, Oyo State.

She sustained a fracture at nine following a motorcycle accident in 2001 at Iwo, Osun State. Olawunmi was a Primary School pupil at the time of the accident. The fracture was mismanaged at the private hospital. The leg became gangrenous and was amputated three months later at the Ladoke Akintola Teaching Hospital, Oshogbo Osun State.

Ms Ajani received a limb from the Indian Community in 2010, which she used until 2017. She had to discard the worn-out leg when it started causing blisters and wounds, leaving scars on her stump. She was teaching her classes with her stump balanced on the handles of her crutches. She urgently needed a new prosthetic limb to facilitate her mobility and ease of work.

Abosede collected her prosthetic limb, and she can now walk without assistance and stand with ease to teach her classes.She also enrolled in entrepreneurial training.

Rashidat is 41 years old below-the-knee amputee. She is a divorcee who has had to care for her two children singlehandedly.

She was involved in a ghastly accident on February 5th, 2007, on her way to her hostel from the school campus. This accident resulted in the amputation of her right foot and then led to further amputation on October 28th, 2007. Rashidat received an artificial limb from the Indomie Company, which she could no longer use. She has been without a limb for ten years. She is a petty trader and desires to expand this business to run a sustainable income-generating activity.

Mobility had become difficult for Rashidat.

Rashidat received her prosthetic limb and N150,000 as a seed fund to expand her business again. She also participated in entrepreneurial training.

Twenty-three-year-old Mary is a devoted member of the Amputee Support Group who has been on the waiting list for support since 2019. She lives in one of the communities surrounding Abuja with her parents. Mary lost her limb in 2019 following an auto accident. She had completed her NCE but is currently unemployed.

The prosthetic rehabilitation for Mary will ensure that she can regain her autonomy and independence and pursue further education to become a teacher.

Mayowa completed her prosthetic rehabilitation in Abuja and is now walking without assistance. She is actively pursuing her dream of becoming a teacher

Olasumbo is a 44-year-old widow and trader. An out-of-control vehicle crashed into her shop on May 16^th, 2012. The government hospitals were on strike during this period, and the private hospitals were too expensive for her. She tried the Traditional Bone Setters, but they could not help her. Olasumbo had to wait until the Orthopedic hospital in Lagos reopened a month later. The leg had already become gangrenous and had to be amputated.

She received an artificial leg from the hospital and wore it until it became beyond repairs in 2019. Olasunmbo completed her rehabilitation process and received her first prosthetic limb from the Foundation. She was one of the beneficiaries of the seed funds support, receiving N150,000 to start her business and be independent again.

Ukoma was involved in a ghastly motor accident on June 4th, 2008. A minibus knocked her down while she was waiting at the bus stop. This accident resulted in an open fracture of her right leg.

Unfortunately, she was taken to traditional bonesetters because of her financial status. The wound became septic while under the care of the TBS. Her family rushed her to Igbobi Orthopedic Hospital. After three surgical attempts to recover the limb, the doctors amputated the leg.

Eudora was despondent when she came for the screening exercise. She had lost all hope of walking again without support.

Eudora is smiling again and walking without assistance after receiving her new leg from the Foundation. Her joy at regaining her autonomy is visible.

Mrs Gbonjunbola Adegbite had a tricycle accident on June 19th 2021 on her way to her shop in Ibadan.

She had always been an agile and active woman as a banker for all her career years. But because of the accident, her right leg was amputated at Oyomesi specialist hospital, Orogun Ibadan. Her family engaged the services of a prosthetist for the prosthetic leg, who billed them 600,000 Naira for the prosthetic leg.

Her family raised a total of 300,000 Naira only, and they have an outstanding balance of 300,000 to pay the prosthetist. But he refused to release the prosthetic leg until the total amount was paid. The family had emptied all they had and exhausted all options to raise the balance.

In her despair, she met one of the previous beneficiaries of the Feet of Grace Foundation. Given her mental and emotional well-being, we had to respond to her desperate cry for help and pay the balance to secure the release of the prosthetic leg.

Mrs Adegbite and her family have remained grateful to the Foundation and our donors for making it possible for her to walk again.