Borno Polio Survivor Shares Harrowing Experience, Urges Vaccination

In a powerful address during a media dialogue in Maiduguri, Borno State, polio survivor Adama Yerima recounted the profound and enduring impact of the poliovirus on her life. Yerima, who contracted polio in childhood, shared poignant details of her daily struggles, highlighting that she has spent years wondering what it feels like to perform simple actions like scratching her nose or running freely. Her testimony, delivered during an event organized by UNICEF and the Borno State Primary Health Care Development Board to mark World Immunisation Week, served as a stark reminder of the devastating consequences of the disease.

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I have spent years wondering what it feels like to scratch my nose or run in the rain.

Yarima eloquently described how the virus "climbs up your spine and cuts the wires to your arms, your legs, your diaphragm," leaving individuals "awake, aware, and imprisoned inside your own flesh." She directly confronted the whispers of doubt surrounding vaccines, stating, "The side effect of not vaccinating is me. The side effect of hesitation is a child learning to breathe through a hole in their throat." Her message was not one of fear, but a wake-up call to parents, urging them to protect their children through vaccination.

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I cannot lift my hand to wave at you. I cannot turn my head to see the person beside me. And I cannot walk to the podium. I was carried here — by a machine, by a chair, and by the hands of others. Why? Because I met the poliovirus before I met the vaccine.

Speaking from her lived experience, Yerima emphasized that vaccines are not "poison" but a "wall" of protection. She implored parents to embrace vaccination, stating, "When you hold your child for vaccination, you are not ‘injecting poison.’ You are building a wall. You are telling the virus, ‘Not this house. Not this street. Not this generation.’" Her plea resonated deeply, aiming to dispel myths and encourage widespread immunization to prevent future generations from suffering the same fate she has endured. The narrative from Borno underscores the critical importance of continued vaccination efforts in Nigeria and globally.

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It is a thief that climbs up your spine and cuts the wires to your arms, your legs, your diaphragm. It leaves you awake, aware, and imprisoned inside your own flesh.