On Tuesday, I learned that a family friend passed away.
He was studying medicine in a European country when he was involved in an accident. He had sustained severe head injuries and had swelling in his brain. The doctors pronounced him brain dead, but his family and
many, many people in the U.S., Nigeria and throughout the world
prayed for his recovery. Days went by and I was so hopeful he would pull through, but unfortunately, he did not.
He was only
27.
There are still many questions surrounding his passing. The scene of the accident was not investigated properly; repairs had been made within hours of the incident and we're unaware if
anyone looked into whether or not anything was faulty or tampered with. He was not immediately taken to a trauma hospital by the ambulance and precious hours were lost before he was finally transferred to a better equipped facility. The laws in that nation state that once declared brain dead, a person must be removed from life support within 6 hours; it took much pleading by his family to the doctors to hold off until his siblings made the cross-Atlantic flight to at least be by his side. Even then, they were not permitted to stay with him after 9:00PM. When he passed, his family wasn't told until much later, after he'd already been moved to the morgue.
My heart breaks for them...
I live in the U.S. and as much as I love Nigeria, this tragedy has reaffirmed my belief that America is the best country in the world, honestly. Here, you must have
family permission before life support is discontinued. You can stay with a loved one overnight, around the clock to ensure their comfort and, most of all, proper care. Lastly, family is always and
immediately notified should a patient ever go into cardiac arrest.
To all of you who travel or school abroad,
know your rights. Know your rights as a citizen in another country. Contact your embassy or consulate and
be informed on how the law works in a foreign land. God forbid anything like this ever happen to anyone you know; it is too tragic...
My friend would have made
fabulous doctor. He was very smart, very funny, very playful and most of all,
very kind. He will be very missed...
Be well
♥
"Good people pass away; the godly often die before their time. But no one seems to care or wonder why. No one seems to understand that God is protecting them from the evil to come. For those who follow godly paths will rest in peace..."
—Isaiah 57:1-2
