The best West African Secondary School Certificate (WASSCE) student with seven distinctions, Miss Chisom Chukwuneke died from leg pains at 17.
Chisom who hailed from Okpuno Village, Umuogali, Oba, Idemili South Local Government Area of Anambra State died on Sunday, October 18, 2020 in South Africa.
Her father, Prof. Felix Chukwuneke lamented her death in his poem in honour of his loving daughter and she promised him a gift on his birthday.
The gift Chisom promised her father was her death a day to his birthday.
POEM FROM LOVING DAD!
“ANGELIC EXIT OF A GENIUS
Just like a dream.
But the realities are crystal now
Just a pain on the leg.
That snowballed to a devastating episode,
The battle started earnestly
I hear you call daddy my leg is paining me.
I watch as you lie abed with pains
As restless and worried as I can be,
I promised to do everything humanly possible
With glaring poor health care in Nigeria
off we went to South Africa.
We were happy at your initial recovery.
Not knowing the war was just to begin
We fought it together for more than a year in SA,
You were an embodiment of intelligence of inestimable value
Above all an indefatigable personality
Courageous in the face of glaring uncertainty.
You were strong and philosophical
My strength and motivation even in sickness
You wanted your dad freed while you go on to rest,
In the bosom of our Lord
Where there is no more pain
You spoke in parables about a special gift 10 days earlier,
and left a day to my birthday.
Never did I know your special birthday gift,
You promised was your Glorious exit.
You exhibited your virtuoso and dazzling intellects,
to the bewilderment of the doctors at Wits Donald Gordon Hospital Parktown Johannesburg South Africa
Today your name is written in Gold over there.
Like a shining light in the tunnel,
having a dream for an African Child,
with less privilege and opportunity like you,
to access good health care.
This your dream I must ensure
Forever the strong one’s been you.
Physically no more but everywhere with us
We are with you, you are with us
Farewell to His glory Enyinnia
Daddy’s Girl
always in our hearts,
you will remain.
Prof. Felix Chukwuneke”
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