Amputee hairstylist Idowu Rebecca speaks with AJIBADE OMAPE about the incident that resulted in the loss of her leg and reflects on how she has been adapting to life
Can you tell us about your early years and family background?
My name is Idowu Rebecca. I was born in Benin Republic and grew up in Nigeria, where I attended primary and secondary school. I’m 25 years old and I have five siblings. My dad is late. Both my parents are from the Benin Republic. I attended primary school in Ketu and secondary school, but I did not pursue further education at the university level. I am now a hairstylist.
Can you describe the incident that led to the loss of your leg?
The incident happened on January 16th, 2019. I was on a bike heading to work. At that time, I was working at Ebute Ikorodu, and I was residing in the Ikorodu area. I was travelling from Ogolonto towards the Ebute axis when I was involved in an accident with a truck and a Jeep vehicle. I was crushed by the truck, but the bike rider luckily escaped without major injuries. The biker was not on the wrong side of the road, nor was he speeding. I don’t know what happened or how the collision occurred, but I found myself under the truck and saw that my leg was crushed.
Did you receive any medical attention after the accident occurred?
Yes, I received medical attention. I was rushed to the hospital after the accident happened. I was taken to a General Hospital in Ikorodu where I was later transferred to Igbobi Hospital. When we arrived at Igbobi Hospital, the doctors who attended to us informed us that nothing could be done for the leg, and they suggested that it should be amputated. My mum and family took a few days to decide whether to go ahead with the amputation or not.
What were your initial reactions when you were told your leg would be amputated?
I wasn’t surprised when the doctors suggested amputating my leg. Immediately after the accident, when I emerged from under the truck and saw my leg, I was shocked and screamed. I already had a feeling that I might not be able to walk with it again because it was severely injured with no bone left to support walking. The accident occurred on the 16th of January, and my leg was amputated on the 18th of the same month.
How did you adjust to life after the amputation of your leg?
It’s not that easy, though. I was 20 years old when the accident happened. I do what I can for myself, and then my sister helps me out, along with my mum and even my brothers, because it hasn’t been easy. But there’s nothing I can do except consider everything and move on with my life as normal.
How did you start your hair styling business?
I have loved styling hair since I was young. So, I decided that when I grew up, I would become a hairstylist. While I was still in school, pursuing hairstyling training came to me. My family was surprised when I said I wanted to learn it, but I insisted it was what I wanted to do. After finishing school, I began working and also started learning hairstyling. Fortunately, I completed my training before the accident.
After the accident, when I was recovering from my operation, I returned to work for my employer. However, she told me she couldn’t continue employing me due to my condition. Although she didn’t explicitly state the reasons, she was concerned about my comfort and ability to continue working effectively.
I began learning hairstyling in 2014 and stopped in 2018. Since then, I have continued working as a hairstylist, embracing my passion despite the challenges.
Now that you have your shop, have you been able to train any new hairstylists?
Yes, I have had the opportunity to train many people. I trained them, and I think they liked the way I taught them because it wasn’t hard, and it’s something I enjoy doing.
Did you experience stigma from friends or others around you due to your disability after the accident?
I don’t have friends; the only friends I have are mostly the people I used to work with. After the incident, some new friends I have don’t know how I was before. I’m not sure what to say about it because I’m not really into friendships.
“Most of the friends I had before my accident have moved far away from where I am now. We only talk on the phone often.
“Well, I’ve made some friends since the accident. Some people are good to me, while others sometimes do not treat me well. But I don’t care about that. I don’t care if they treat me well or badly.
How did you cope with the physical and emotional challenges following the incident that led to the loss of your leg?
You know, it wasn’t easy for me to forget about it. But when it comes to doing some of the things I used to do before the accident, I never once thought I couldn’t do them again. I always do the things that make me happy. If I want to go out, I go, and I try not to see myself as someone who has only one leg.
What are the challenges you have faced in your business?
I face many challenges at work while styling hair for people. The biggest challenge is standing with one leg for long periods while working. By the end of the day, I feel severe pain in my body due to this discomfort. Although I sit down sometimes, it doesn’t always seem like I’m sitting. Most customers treat me well. I have never encountered a customer who treated me poorly because of my condition. Another challenge I sometimes face is falling. Occasionally, I fall while sitting, and my crutches also cause me to fall sometimes. This mostly happens at the shop, but it has occurred at other places like my house, albeit very rarely.
How do you plan to address these challenges you’re facing now?
I think there is a type of chair that I can get to prevent me from standing too much. However, I’m not sure about this because I have not researched the type of chair I need to feel comfortable while working, but I believe there should be one available. When styling hair for my customers, I usually stand on one leg and place a chair or stool under my amputated leg for support. However, sometimes the height of the chair is a problem—it can be either too high or too low compared to my leg height.
Do you use any special equipment in your shop to make your work easier, and have you considered prosthetics or are you comfortable using crutches?
For now, there is no special equipment in my shop. I have tried to get a prosthetic leg, although I have one, it is not very comfortable, so I prefer to use my crutches most of the time. It has been a long time since I tried to get prosthetics; the last time I made enquiries about getting a prosthetic was in 2019, but I was unable to get it at that time because it was priced at N1.5 million. The resources to get it were not available, so I never pursued it further. However, the one I have was given to me by a foundation based in Maryland, Lagos. I was invited to a programme by the foundation last year. Many donors contributed items to the foundation, and after answering some questions, I was given the prosthetic leg without any cost to me.
Did you undergo physiotherapy during your recovery period to relieve the pain?
Up to now, I still feel pain; sometimes it’s a shock I feel in the leg. After the operation, before leaving the hospital, I was advised to attend physiotherapy sessions where doctors would apply treatments to my leg and take care of it for me.
Have you experienced depression since the accident?
I have never been depressed in my life, and I don’t ever pray to be depressed. It has been a long time since my accident, so I have forgotten about it. Although I thought about it in that year, I have since moved on and try to stay happy always.
Do you still have a fear of bikes after the accident, or do you still use them for transportation?
I had a phobia of bikes for a good year after the accident occurred, but I have been using bikes to travel to various places since then. There are some places I cannot reach without a bike, so I have been using bikes again for four years now. However, during the year immediately following the accident, if I had to go somewhere far that was only accessible by bike, I didn’t mind walking to the place due to my fear.
How have your customers responded since your accident?
So, because I was working for someone before, most of the customers I attended to were not mine. However, some who knew what happened to me still came to patronise me. Most of the customers I have had since the accident have been new people — some saw my TikTok and Instagram accounts, while others were referred to me by my previous customers.
Have you considered pursuing a university education in the future, since you mentioned not having gone beyond secondary school?
I am not too keen on that. I just want to continue with my business. I don’t have the zeal or the strength for it. I’m not interested.
What encouragement do you have for people facing physical disabilities?
Well, I would say they must not look down on themselves. They are human beings like others, so they should always find happiness. If they have ideas that could earn them money, they should pursue them and not be sad. They shouldn’t worry too much about their physical appearance. It will only bring sadness.
Have you found it difficult to enter into relationships since your accident?
It has been challenging to find a partner. I was in a relationship before the accident, but it ended when he stopped communicating with me. We were together for about three to four years before the incident. It made me feel bad, but I didn’t know what to do because he didn’t talk to me. He visited me a few times in the hospital after I was discharged and came to my home, but after a while, his behaviour changed without explanation, and he stopped talking to me altogether.
Looking ahead, what are your goals and aspirations for your hair business and personal life?
I have many plans. I want my business to grow bigger than it is now, and I aim to travel and gain more recognition in my field. I am currently single and seeking someone to settle down with. I hope to find a good man who will love me for who I am and not judge me by my appearance.
Would you marry someone with a disability like yours, or would you marry someone else?
Only God knows. If I say I couldn’t marry someone with a disability, how would I want people to see me? I pray to God because He knows the kind of person I am. I pray that God gives me a partner who will care for and love me for who I am. I wouldn’t reject someone with a disability.
