Limb For Vivian Emouphe

Vivian is the most recent beneficiary of support from the Feet of Grace Foundation. I met Vivian during my visit to Lagos in July 2015. The Irede Foundation arranged for me to meet with her. Her story was very compelling. Vivian is a 35-year-old woman, married for nine years with two children. In June 2008, while she was eight months pregnant, a drunken driver ran into her and her husband as they stood by the roadside. This was her second pregnancy. She had lost the first pregnancy also at eight months. Vivian lost her baby and had her leg amputated three days after the accident. Her husband was also admitted to the orthopedic hospital at the same time with fractured bones and ankle.

Vivian had a full leg—trans-femoral amputation of her right leg. But with the support of family and friends she was able to go to the UK where she was fitted with her first prosthetic limb in December 2008. She and her husband picked up the pieces of their lives despite all they had suffered and lost and went on to raise their family.

She has been using the same prosthetic limb since December 2008, which had been repaired several times over the last three years. The hydraulic system in the ankle has become defective causing her to fall several times. This poses a major risk to her. She requires extreme caution using the limb.

Vivian runs a small scale confectionery business, but she and her husband have raised some funds towards the procurement of a new limb, which is not adequate. Therefore, Feet of Grace Foundation is part funding a new hydraulic full leg prosthetic limb for her.