A man who ‘eats’ through a tube seeks assistance.
Consider your favorite meal for a moment. That goat light soup, chicken stew, and pork khebab are all delicious. If you’re looking for something sweet, try the chocolate and red velvet cake.
Consider being unable to taste any of these savory and sweet bombs.
That is Vincent Attobrah’s daily struggle as he suffers from esophageal stricture. As a result, he can only eat and drink via a tube.
Vincent Attobrah, a 25-year-old who appears half his age, has been feeding himself using a specialized syringe. He’s been doing it for three years.
“My throat, can not swallow food or anything; water, fufu, or banku, I can’t swallow. I can only drink liquids through the tube, such as Koko, malt, and tea. “I go through the tube for everything,” he said, almost choking.
He has been feeding in this manner because he has corrosive oesophageal stricture.
Thirsty for water, he drank what appeared to be water but was actually caustic soda.
“I was a student at Nzema-Aiyinase. When I returned from school thirsty, I told my grandmother. She then told me to go inside and get some water. I felt a sharp burning sensation in my throat after drinking the substance, so I yelled for help.
“My grandma asked me what happened, and I showed her what I drank, not knowing it was caustic soda. I couldn’t tell the difference between the water and the soda because they were standing next to each other. “The water and soda were similar; they didn’t have any color, so I didn’t know,” he explained.
He recovered after drinking the caustic soda and receiving treatment, but his throat constricted again three years later.
“I was sent to an EIKWE hospital and I got well; I could walk, eat and do everything. The sickness returned later, and I was brought here, Ewusiejoe,” an almost tearful Vincent recalls.
Vincent claims that all efforts to correct the situation have been futile. His standard of living has significantly deteriorated. Vincent yearns to eat again through his mouth. Even drinking water is currently impossible.
“I can’t swallow anything; even the light soup my grandmother prepares for me to try swallowing, I can’t. I can’t swallow anything, no matter how hard I try. All I can do is inject food and water into my stomach with a syringe and a tube. When I’m finished, the tube can’t take in anything else. “That’s how I feed,” he explained.
One man has been his constant support for the past three years. Hackman, Eric Okoe. He has been trying to gather support for Vincent. Vincent is depressed because of his condition.
“A doctor examined him and recommended that he have surgery. He was given a note to take to Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital, but the note had expired, so he had to return for another scan.
“After everything, it was concluded that we needed $3,000 to have the surgery done. We asked for help from the community, but despite our best efforts, we were unable to raise it,” Okoe Hackman stated passionately.
Vincent longs to taste and eat his grandmother’s cooking once more. But who will make this dream a reality?
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