University of Wolverhampton student struck by spine injury completes degree
A man who suffered a spinal injury part-way through his media degree has now graduated.
Naison Bangure's spine was damaged after he accidentally slipped on a kerb while running for a bus near New Cross Hospital on February 11, 2015.
The University of Wolverhampton student fell on the kerb awkwardly, unable to correct his balance – hitting his head and neck on the ledge.
The resulting fall led to his body weight crashing down on his neck, which splintered the bone and damaged the spinal cord.
"From the neck down a lot of things don't work. I do have some things that work fine, but a lot is messed up," he said.
It means he is partly disabled from the neck down – but the 60-year-old refused to give up on his studies, instead continuing his three-year BA (Hons) Film and Television Production at the university.
He spent eight months in hospital recovering before being transferred to a care home in Sutton Coldfield and later Jubilee Court, Central Drive, in Bilston.
The former HSBC worker, who spent nine years at the firm, previously worked for 26 years at The Herald in the Sunday Mail in Zimbabwe.
He worked on the production side of the newspaper – handling printing and later becoming deputy general manager.
Naison, who lived in Wednesfield before his injury, was also in charge of handling complaints and any issues over libel, which he forwarded and discussed with lawyers.
"My thinking was that 'here I am', I've done 26 years in a newspaper environment, specialising in print production, now what do I do?
"Print is slowly fading out, circulation figures for all the newspapers has taken a dip and given way to electronic media.
"For that reason I thought it would be a good idea to cherish my print media experience and try some electronic media to cover all basis."
The former deputy general manager was due to graduate in 2017, but had to put off the special occasion until this year due to the injury.
Anne-Marie Weatherhogg, admin manager at Jubilee Court, said: "Naison is such a lovely, lovely person – he is polite and lives here now in his own flat.
"We take him to appointments and he's very popular with staff – and he did such a lovely speech.
"He can't use his hands but he can use a pen with his mouth. He's got a lot of digital equipment with him which helps.
"He said how grateful he was to be at Jubilee Court and said we were his best friends.
"For me, to see someone be that selfless is amazing. We should all take a leaf out of his book."
