Breaking Ceilings: Former Patient of FOCOS Anastasia Boateng Graduates with First Class Honors at KNUST

When life throws you lemons, make lemonade. That’s the case of Anastasia Boateng Agyenim, a former patient and beneficiary of FOCOS and a recent graduate of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) with first class honours.

At the time of her first diagnosis, she was still walking. However, unfortunately, due to her parents’ inability to find a sponsor at the time to cover the cost of her surgery, she later came back paralyzed. FOCOS eventually found a sponsor for her and performed the required surgery on her but she never regained motor function.

According to her, her parents first sought herbal treatment which helped ease the pain until it affected her spine and was very visible at age 8 when she was seen not to be walking properly. Anastasia met Prof Oheneba Boachie-Adjei, renowned spine surgeon and his team in 2003 where she was diagnosed with the condition and ruled that she needed surgery urgently to avoid further complications.

Ms Boateng is the eldest of four children of her parents at a tender age who’s story dates back a decade ago when she first visited FOCOS with her parents, in need of urgent care. Today, Anastasia after surgery and fully recovered with no complications goes about her day normally – even though she’s in a wheelchair.

Despite her challenges, Boateng successfully went through school completing her basic education at Opoku Ware School in Kumasi, went on to Yaa Asantewaa Girls High School and graduated impressively with a Bachelors degree in Sociology / Political Studies in KNUST, Kumasi.