Nih’mat Osuntogun, a recent admit to study Medicine and Surgery at the Federal University of Health Sciences, Ila Orangun, Osun State, shared her journey of overcoming stigma after losing her left eye in a road crash. A former pupil of Federal Government College, Ogbomosho, she recounted the accident that occurred while she was sleeping in a vehicle traveling on the Lagos‑Ibadan Expressway. A trailer overtook their bus, causing a collision that left her in a coma for nine days. When she awoke, she found herself in a strange place, initially unaware of her surroundings. She was first taken to Al‑Hayyu Hospital in Ibadan, then transferred to Ireti Olu Hospital in Ogbomosho, where she spent two to three weeks before discharge.
Since the accident, Nih’mat has undergone nine eye surgeries, the first at a local facility for initial treatment and the subsequent eight at University College Hospital, Ibadan. Although she can see, her vision remains unclear and she must open her eyelids deliberately to focus. The surgeries have not fully restored the normal shape of her eye socket, a complication discovered during an oral and maxillofacial procedure.
The injury occurred when she was in Primary Five at Ladoke Akintola University of Technology Staff School. The visible scar led to mockery and isolation from peers, some calling her “Olojukan” (one‑eyed person). Despite the hurtful remarks and the discomfort caused by pus on her face, a few friends supported her by taking notes and offering encouragement. The stigma affected her academic performance initially, but by Senior Secondary School 1 she had recovered, becoming the top Biology student and later being named the most intelligent graduate.
Family support played a crucial role in her recovery. After her sixth surgery, her father suggested stopping further procedures, but a nurse who was an alumnus of her school persuaded her parents to continue. The nurse and his colleagues funded the sixth through ninth surgeries, with special gratitude expressed for Nurse Nnonye’s assistance. Nih’mat is the first child and first daughter among five siblings; her parents, while supportive, face financial strain in covering the tuition for all their children. The six‑year Medicine and Surgery program costs around ₦450,000 per year, a burden she hopes God will help alleviate.
Motivated by her own experience, Nih’mat chose Medicine and Surgery to help others. She is interested in three specialties—neurosurgery, ophthalmology, and dentistry—though she has not yet decided which to pursue. Her aim is not personal vision restoration but to treat patients with similar conditions. She aspires to own a hospital where people receive compassionate care, inspired by the suffering she witnessed at University College Hospital, where facial injury victims endured great pain.
Her academic achievements include a UTME score of 246, a post‑UTME estimate of 7.5/10, and O‑level results of three A’s and B3 in the remaining subjects. The most painful aspect of her ordeal has been the shift in how others perceive her beauty, yet she affirms her self‑worth, reminding herself, “Nih’mat, you’re still very beautiful.” The accident deepened her understanding of life, and she encourages others in similar situations not to succumb to low self‑esteem, believing that both she and the universe have untapped greatness awaiting realization.
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