Dr. Ijeoma Jane Nnodim, a Hearing-challenged Paediatrician from Anambra State had just been awarded Unsung Heroes Award on Wednesday, November 20, 2019.
The award came shortly after a viral post she made on the internet about an incidence she experienced involving the police. “I had been advised to lay low for security reasons so I declined the award” she told INN
INN learnt that a text message was sent to her informing her that she had been nominated for the Unsung Heroes Award, Health Development Category by the Delta Economic Summit Group.
Having declined the award, Dr Ijeoma said “I was then contacted by Dr. Ernest Ogbedo, a Consultant Ophthalmologist and 2018 awardee of the same award who told me he nominated me because of my work with a little boy called Godspower, with hydrocephalus.”
The Doctor had to persuaded Dr. Ijeoma to accept which she did. On 20/11/19 the award took place. There were three nominees for each of the following categories
Education
Humanitarian Service
Youth Development
Women Development
Health Development
One person from each category was selected and Dr. Ijeoma was declared winner defeating two other opponents to receive the award for the Health Development category
Receiving the award, Dr. Ijeoma said she dedicates the award to every little children out there
Dr. Ijeoma jokingly said she was asked “Ijeoma why are you always pressing phone?” That’s how she won the award.
Dr. Ijeoma Jane Nnodim is a hearing-challenged Paediatrician with 14 years of medical practice. A Fellow of the West African College of Physicians, she currently works as a Lecturer/Honorary Consultant Paediatrician at the Imo State University/Imo State University Teaching Hospital, Orlu, Imo State.
Dr. Nnodim is the founder of Dr. Ijeoma’s Healthy Kids’ Community, a thriving Facebook Community of over 5,000 members, where she shares tips on Children’s health in a fun, easy-to-understand way. She is also passionate about ensuring that people with disabilities are not left behind in having access to Universal Healthcare and has partnered with the Medical Women’s Association of Nigeria in providing health education to people with disabilities.
She intends to take this further and has founded Isonye Foundation, a non-profit organization targeted at getting inclusive preventive and curative health care to people with disabilities in Nigeria and beyond (still in registration stage.) She has taken up some indigent cases of children needing health care locally and beyond.
Dr. Nnodim has undergone several trainings and has certifications from the University of Washington in Leadership and Management in Health, and also Epidemiology and Global Health among others. She is a member of several societies including Medical Women’s Association of Nigeria, Nigerian Medical Association, Nigerian Society of Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition.
Born with severe-profound hearing loss, she has been able to surmount the odds and is a role model to several young women and men with similar challenges.
Her hobbies include travelling, reading and Scrabble. She lives in Delta state with her family.
Photos of the award:
