The 2007 year group of St Thomas Aquinas Old Students Association (Old Toms) has decided to dedicate their 10th year anniversary to an old student, Patrick Yeboah, who has been left paralysed after being struck down by a billboard.
The 28-year-old suffered this unfortunate fate in April, 2016, when a billboard allegedly belonging to Medex Media Company mounted around the Palace Mall on the Spintex Road in Accra fell on him, leaving him completely paralysed.
A video, which went viral on social media, showed Patrick narrating his ordeal and appealing to well wishers to come to his aid.
Speaking exclusively to 3news.com, President of the 2007 Old Toms Sammy Obeng stated that they will do everything within their capacity to help Patrick live a normal life again.
“We learnt that on April 28, 2016, Patrick was on his way out of his home on the Spintex Road and whiles waiting for a vehicle, he said all he could hear was people screaming and he knew there was something heavy on him and it was the billboard from nowhere landing heavily on him and he has been paralysed since then.”
The 2007 Old Toms as part of their anniversary have decided to dedicate the year-long programme to raise funds for Patrick’s medication.
“Patrick is very optimistic that he will have a better life again and very hopeful that he will get the help of God ultimately to heal him but in all of that also he requires the help of all of us colleague ‘Old Toms’.
“If it means flying him out of the country to make sure he gets the best, top-notch, world class medical care, so be it and that’s what we are pursuing,” Mr Obeng said.
“If you look at the social media campaign, you will find an image of Patrick in the gym, a muscular guy before the accident and now you see Patrick and his lower limbs are all virtually dead and his arms almost unfunctional.
“He is aided to pass out urine and apart from that he cannot even pick up the cell phone to make calls; he’s bedridden and therefore wheeled in a wheelchair, lifted up by family to be transported from wheelchair to bed, fed, bathed by family members which is unfortunate,” he added.
Paltry GH¢2, 500 rejected
The president of the ‘Old Toms’ disclosed that Patrick’s family rejected a paltry GH¢2, 500 from the advertising company.
“What we know and as the legal cases are rolling out, we are not in the position to speak directly to what the company is saying or not.”
By Nana Afrane Asante|3news.com|Ghana