At just a year and a half old, I suffered severe burns, leaving my body disfigured and requiring over 100 surgeries to correct the deformities. Despite the medical interventions, I still faced significant challenges. These physical scars were only part of the story. My mouth was also affected, and this left me with speech difficulties, making communication even harder. I faced rejection from many, even within my own family, and found it difficult to navigate the world around me.
Growing up, I was often the first in class when counting from the back — in other words, I was always the last in academic performance. I had one close friend during this time, Ampomah (aka Obig), who was also a unique and large individual. He was my only companion and, despite the difficulties, I encouraged him not to give up on school, even when he wanted to quit. Our bond was strong, and I supported him because he was my only friend.
School was a place where I felt the most rejection, from both classmates and society at large. The teasing, bullying, and fear of being different led me to adopt wild coping strategies. I responded aggressively, throwing stones and rebelling against the world around me. These were my ways of fighting back against the emotional and physical scars.
When I reached secondary school, things didn’t get much easier. I was shy, quiet, and humble, resembling someone who might be battling depression or anxiety. I struggled to mingle with others, and fear of re-entering the community after years of isolation plagued me. At that point, I realized that I needed support, and began researching ways to find it. However, there were no burn survivors’ support groups in Ghana at that time.
Determined to make a difference, I sought to create the first-ever peer support group for burn survivors in the country. Through the Korle-Bu Burns Unit and Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital’s Burns Unit, I found a community where sharing our stories could provide emotional healing. The act of speaking about my experiences and hearing the stories of others helped me heal. It gave me the confidence to start socializing and connect with others, something that had been nearly impossible for me before.
During this time, I also met Angelina Afriyie, a student midwife. We dated for two years and eventually got married. Together, we built a wonderful family, and I began working as an accountant in a consultancy firm. Despite my full-time job, I didn’t stop advocating for burn survivors. I registered the Ghana Burn Survivors Foundation and began forming mobile teams to provide emotional support to burn victims and survivors across the country.
The foundation brought together professionals from different fields, including doctors, surgeons, psychologists, therapists, and fire personnel, all with the goal of raising awareness and preventing needless burn injuries. Through this advocacy work, I had the opportunity to represent Ghana on international platforms, including conferences in the United Kingdom, United States, Canada, the Netherlands, Germany, Italy, Liberia, Benin, Sierra Leone, and more. These experiences gave me invaluable exposure and insight into global approaches to burn care, emotional support, and prevention.
Over the years, I became involved in the Federation of Disabilities and was appointed to serve in various advisory roles. This included a position at the Ministry of Gender and as a board member of the National Council of Persons with Disabilities. My work in advocacy, peer support, and prevention even led me to represent Ghana at the United Nations (UN) and at the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), where I championed the rights of burn survivors and people with disabilities.
The peer support network we created has been life-changing for many individuals. By sharing our personal stories, burn survivors found emotional healing and support. One of the most powerful aspects of this journey has been helping others discover their purpose.
