I had read his survival story on various websites and it reached out to me. I was deeply moved. I cried once while trying to make sense of it all. Here was a young man who in a matter of days, his picture perfect life of new jobs for himself and fiancee, baby on the way had dramatically changed. Same with so many others who had been forced into this traumatic Ebola situation. Dennis Akagha's story was just one the world had to hear. I got in touch with him and he was so friendly during our phone calls. Finally got to meet him and it is an experience I will remember for the rest of my life. And yes, I shook hands with him. He even made a joke about it. At that moment what was important was reaching out in my own way to him. How many of us has lost someone so dear? You feel hollow and empty. The pain is so hard to bear and you feel like your world should end. The heartache is so painful, you cry for nights unending asking God why. A question that sometimes has no satisfactory answer. I remember when I lost Kome. Such an innocent soul; and Oreva, a lively spirit and my Dad, the best in the world. I am yet to recover from any of these. For Dennis, he lost his fiancee and unborn child but yet he is hopeful that there's a meaning to all this. Life instantly becomes meaningless when dealing with a situation like this. The love he expressed for this special woman is so touching that begs the question how many of us would have willingly done same? Wow, God bless his dear heart. And what awesome faith he had that he stayed only five days in isolation. Despite the test results reading positive twice, he held unto God, he spoke and acted in faith. His story is so inspiring.
Please let us stop the stigmatization against those who have been certified free of the virus. They need our love. God saved his life and many others. Unfortunately, we lost seven people. People who have families. It could have been any of us. My heart goes out to him and all others who are grieving. For times like this, there are no consoling words to offer. We can only hope. And keep living for memorable moments, making an impact. Ensure you make your life count, you never know when death will come knocking. At the end of the day, die empty. Do not take away any of those gifts and potentials God has given to you.
Cheers.
Click on this link to read the story: Ebola "not a death sentence" says hopeful Nigerian survivor
And click on this video link to watch the story: Nigeria Ebola Survivor Speaks Out
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