The First Lady of Anambra State, Dr Nonye Soludo, has visited various hospitals across the state as part of a medical outreach and intervention, marking her 55th birthday.
During the exercise, which took her to Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital, Awka, Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, Nnewi and the newly-built General Hospital, Okpoko, on Thursday, many patients received cash gifts to offset their medical bills and other sundry expenses.
While some others benefited from free surgical interventions and received free eye care services, free medical treatment and screening for hypertension, diabetes, malaria and respiratory tract infection were performed for the patients at the facilities on the bill of the governor’s wife.
At the various facilities, Soludo, who is also the founder of the “Healthy Living with Nonye Soludo initiative”, was seen interacting passionately with patients, singing praises to God, offering them prayers and words of advice, while also presenting some amount of cash to support them.
In an interview with journalists after the exercise in Okpoko, she said celebrating her birthday with the needy by visiting hospitals and the less-privileged homes is a practice she has cultivated long before she married.
She said, “Rather than celebrate my birthday with parties, I celebrate it with the needy by visiting the hospitals and less-privileged homes to celebrate to cater to their needs. This is a long-term tradition I have been practising long before I got married.
“Even during my single years, I celebrated with orphans, the sick, and the poor. I have never really been a person for parties. If you see me organising a birthday gathering, it is usually a low-key one with my family or close friends. Celebrating with the less privileged has always been a part of me.
“Every year, I spend my birthday with the sick, the motherless and the vulnerable. It is my way of reflecting on the true meaning of human existence, showing love, giving hope, and putting smiles on people’s faces.
“Bringing happiness to others is my greatest joy. My happiest moments are when I see people smile. That is all I need to feel fulfilled. With what I have done today, I consider my birthday celebration complete; whatever comes after is just extra.”
The first lady also encouraged other well-meaning people to cultivate the habit of touching lives in their own way while commending the medical team of the hospitals visited for their dedication to duty.
“Making people smile doesn’t cost much; sometimes all it takes is your presence and attention. Even helping an old woman find a place to sleep is an act of love. I am impressed by how neat the hospitals are. May the Almighty God bless and continue to strengthen the doctors and nurses here for their hard work,” she added.
During a get-together held at the Light House, Awka, later in the evening, Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, expressed gratitude to everyone who contributed to the day’s activities, adding that a birthday is not just about celebrating a person; it is a moment of charity and reflection.
Soludo described his wife as “the machine, the engine”, who powers the house, while thanking her for all she is doing.
“For me, I have scheduled today, and the birthday celebrant told me that what she wants to do is to visit hospitals to take care of patients and the needy. These surgeries were done, the hospital bills were paid, and the resources were put together by public-spirited individuals.
“This is the kind of charity that runs something from within. The day I knew that I was very blessed was the day I won her heart. Thank you for loving me. Since we got married, every year we celebrate our anniversary.”
“Whatever we have been able to accomplish in life, she is the machine, the engine, that powers the house. Don’t be deceived by her soft spoken words because behind that, is a woman of steel, a woman of character and my children and I are lucky to have a mother like her.
“I lost my mother when I was eight, but in her, I found a mother, a lover. While I celebrate her, I celebrate her values, and that is the key to what she did today,” the governor added.
