As he lay on his back in his one-bedroom house in Gordon Town, St Andrew, Adisa Alexander yearned to be in a position to aid his bedridden mother.
Adisa, a multi-talented individual working as a farmer, martial arts expert, barber, and cook, had his life dramatically altered in 2020, when he fell victim to a vicious attack by hoodlums. They shot him a shocking 33 times, leaving him with devastating injuries that led to the loss of both his legs and partial paralysis in his left arm.
His 63-year-old mother, Joan Alexander, became his primary caregiver, but she found herself in need of assistance after she too became paralysed earlier this year. They now lay on separate beds in the dwelling.
"My mother is bedridden now and the doctors don't know what wrong with her. My sister has to come from work and look on her," said Adisa. "The doctors dem seh dem don't know what is wrong with her. Her legs just stop move. She just start go back way and now she can't move, and is not like she old."
Since his life-altering experience, Adisa has been reliant on the assistance of others. He dreams of the day he could regain independence and support his mother and three children.
Adisa's life took a dramatic and devastating turn October 13, 2020, when he was shot while sheltering from rain at a shop in Tavern, a community that neighbours his hometown of Gordon Town.
"I got shot in my back, hip and other places. God is so good that I didn't get any shot in my spine," he recounted.
He said he does not know his attackers and has no idea why he was shot. He said he has forgiven them.
In the meantime, Adisa expressed to THE STAR the deep pain he feels from being unable to assist his mother and provide for his children. He yearns for the day when his wounds will finally heal sufficiently, allowing him to resume work. He remains determined that, once healed, he will turn to farming as a means of making a living, even if it means having to crawl on his buttocks.
"I still want to work. I have come to accept my fate, understanding that perhaps God intended me to walk for only 40 years and then crawl on my bottom for the rest of my life," Adisa said with conviction.
He often finds himself reflecting on the time when he was independent and capable of providing for himself and his family. "Life can change in the blink of an eye," he added, acknowledging the unpredictability of life's twists and turns.
Adisa Alexander may be contacted via telephone at 876 542 8440.
