Do you remember Dennis Akagha? He is one of the survivors of the deadly Ebola virus…he however lost his fiancee Justina Ejelonu to the disease.
On
Friday, August 14, Dennis would hold a Twitter chat in remembrance of
his fiancée Justina Ejelonu. He would answer questions using the hash
tags #CelebratingJustinaEjelonu and #RIPEbola.
In a recent interview, Dennis talked about his healing process. Excerpts below:
It’s
been a year since your fiancée Justina Ejelonu died as a result of
contracting the Ebola virus at her work place, do you feel that she
could have been saved if the disease had been found out earlier?
Well, I still believe everything happened for a reason, I have no right
to question God because He knows best and understands what happened.
Some persons were brought to the hospital earlier and they still did not
make it. Humanly thinking I would say yes, but God still knows best and
why everything happened the way it did.
been a year since your fiancée Justina Ejelonu died as a result of
contracting the Ebola virus at her work place, do you feel that she
could have been saved if the disease had been found out earlier?
Well, I still believe everything happened for a reason, I have no right
to question God because He knows best and understands what happened.
Some persons were brought to the hospital earlier and they still did not
make it. Humanly thinking I would say yes, but God still knows best and
why everything happened the way it did.
You
were with her through it all, do tell us how it all happened. She just
got a new job at First Consultants, what was your plan together?
Justina and I had big dreams and visions but our major concern was to
cement the relationship to become husband and wife. We wanted to do
things right but due to some financial challenges on my part, it was
really a problem for me, although we had done introduction and were
hoping to finalize the whole process by September last year. Our plan
was to set up an NGO for children, premature babies precisely, because
she fell in love with babies born too soon during her NYSC days. But
first thing was settling down as husband and wife. However, the Ebola
incident cut everything short.
were with her through it all, do tell us how it all happened. She just
got a new job at First Consultants, what was your plan together?
Justina and I had big dreams and visions but our major concern was to
cement the relationship to become husband and wife. We wanted to do
things right but due to some financial challenges on my part, it was
really a problem for me, although we had done introduction and were
hoping to finalize the whole process by September last year. Our plan
was to set up an NGO for children, premature babies precisely, because
she fell in love with babies born too soon during her NYSC days. But
first thing was settling down as husband and wife. However, the Ebola
incident cut everything short.
A year after her death, how have you found healing and what are you doing now?
Finding healing has not been easy, most especially with someone you
truly love. After her death, I found myself doing those things I
ordinarily wouldn’t do just to find healing
Finding healing has not been easy, most especially with someone you
truly love. After her death, I found myself doing those things I
ordinarily wouldn’t do just to find healing
What are the things you found yourself doing after her death?
This one is personal sir. All the same the healing couldn’t come but I
believe it’s a gradual process and it might require someone to be in the
picture before I fully heal.
This one is personal sir. All the same the healing couldn’t come but I
believe it’s a gradual process and it might require someone to be in the
picture before I fully heal.
You contracted Ebola from Justina, how did you survive?
I survived by the grace of God…nothing more, nothing less.
I survived by the grace of God…nothing more, nothing less.
How did you overcome the trauma and stigma?
Well, I think one of the things I did to overcome the trauma and fear
of people towards me was to speak to the press immediately after I was
discharged. I spoke with Sahara Reporters, then to Vanguard. That was
how my story began and that was able to solve some of the problems I had
even in my neighbourhood. Although some persons still avoided me even
till December. This gave me a general overview of what people who are
suffering from one infectious terminal disease or the other are facing
in terms of stigma and discrimination, for instance HIV/AIDS.
Well, I think one of the things I did to overcome the trauma and fear
of people towards me was to speak to the press immediately after I was
discharged. I spoke with Sahara Reporters, then to Vanguard. That was
how my story began and that was able to solve some of the problems I had
even in my neighbourhood. Although some persons still avoided me even
till December. This gave me a general overview of what people who are
suffering from one infectious terminal disease or the other are facing
in terms of stigma and discrimination, for instance HIV/AIDS.
Your
fiancée died, you lost your job, people were afraid of you, you were
stigmatized, some other person would have given up on humanity. How were
you able to find equilibrium and bounce back to living a whole life
again?
First was my determination to bounce back and
secondly my family members and the family of Justina, most especially
her mother and her elder sister, they all showed me love and care. I was
always checked on to know how I was doing. My family would always want
to see me around the family house, this helped me a lot. I also found
solace in the presence of God (church).
fiancée died, you lost your job, people were afraid of you, you were
stigmatized, some other person would have given up on humanity. How were
you able to find equilibrium and bounce back to living a whole life
again?
First was my determination to bounce back and
secondly my family members and the family of Justina, most especially
her mother and her elder sister, they all showed me love and care. I was
always checked on to know how I was doing. My family would always want
to see me around the family house, this helped me a lot. I also found
solace in the presence of God (church).
Familial
support and faith are always very important. At the moment you’re in
India doing a social work programme, tell us about this and what your
plans are when you return home.
I am not doing a social
work programme but undergoing a training that will enable me set up a
social venture in Nigeria. This passion was as a result of my personal
experience as a survivor of a dreaded disease and what I went through as
regards stigma and discrimination. Ebola may not come into Nigeria
again but people need to know that being infected with diseases such as
HIV, cancer, etc is not a death sentence. These people need to be loved
and cared for. As a matter of fact, my dream social venture is to spice
up the lives of these kind of people that the society has given up on.
support and faith are always very important. At the moment you’re in
India doing a social work programme, tell us about this and what your
plans are when you return home.
I am not doing a social
work programme but undergoing a training that will enable me set up a
social venture in Nigeria. This passion was as a result of my personal
experience as a survivor of a dreaded disease and what I went through as
regards stigma and discrimination. Ebola may not come into Nigeria
again but people need to know that being infected with diseases such as
HIV, cancer, etc is not a death sentence. These people need to be loved
and cared for. As a matter of fact, my dream social venture is to spice
up the lives of these kind of people that the society has given up on.
A nursing organization has named an award in honour of Justina, do you think this is a good way to keep her memory alive?
As a matter of fact, yes. The initiative started this year but before
then they paid her family a courtesy visit and sought permission from
her parents. That was a very good move by the Nursing World Organization
and I applaud them for that initiative.
As a matter of fact, yes. The initiative started this year but before
then they paid her family a courtesy visit and sought permission from
her parents. That was a very good move by the Nursing World Organization
and I applaud them for that initiative.
Join the #CelebratingJustinaEjelonu chat at 10am on Friday, August 14.