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Survivor Stories
Nicodimos Teshome - Ethiopia
Nicodimos Teshome is from Ethiopia. He is 17. In March 2002, he was a passenger on a train that derailed. In the accident, he lost both his legs below the knee. From the outside, it would seem he was one of the lucky ones. His father is a successful attorney, and his family is well off.
But, when LSN Outreach Worker Yonas, 24, a below-the-elbow amputee and landmine survivor, visited Nicodimos while he was in the hospital recovering from his accident, he noticed Nicodimos seemed withdrawn, and perhaps depressed. Nicodimos’ family seemed to distance themselves from Nicodimos. They obviously cared for him and wanted him to be happy, but they just didn’t seem to know how to interact with him any more.
During one visit, Yonas showed Nicodimos the Surviving Limb Loss pamphlets. One pamphlet in particular caught his attention: “Information for Families.” With a sly look, he tucked the pamphlet into his shirt pocket. The next time Yonas saw Nicodimos, he asked him what he thought about the pamphlets. A mischevious grin came over his face, and he said, “I gave the one about families to my Dad.”
On a recent visit, Yonas came to the front yard of Nicodemos’ house. Before he could even get to the front door, he heard a very excited “Yooonaaas!!!!” Nicodimos rushed to the door on his knees and flung his arms around Yonas in a warm hello as they walked in the door. His enthusiasm almost knocked Yonas over.
Nicodimos’ family has learned how to be supportive of him – in fact, they proudly show off his ability to move around. At this time, he is in the process of being fitted for a prosthetic legs.
View the next profile: Sergo Grdzelishvili
Less than 10 percent of landmine survivors have access to proper medical care and rehabilitation. Please visit our Donate Now section and see what you can do to help landmine survivors around the world.
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