A rare genetic condition has left 19-year-old Enock Eshun, a Level 100 student at the University of Cape Coast, unable to sit for the past five years.

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Diagnosed with Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP) at the age of two, his condition gradually worsened, forcing him into a permanent standing position.

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In an interview with entertainment blogger Zion Felix, Eshun shared how his early reliance on herbal treatment contributed to his condition’s deterioration. Despite the physical challenges, he chose to remain standing rather than rely on a wheelchair, determined to pursue his education.

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Recalling a pivotal moment in 2020, he said:

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"After the COVID break, they announced that JHS students should return to school. At that time, I was at my aunty's place in Abra. On my way back home in a rickshaw, we hit a pothole, and I felt pain in my waist. At that point, we didn’t know anything about the illness, so I ignored it. But as time went on, the pain worsened, and I couldn’t sit. My dad started massaging it, but that was a mistake. I realized I couldn’t sit at all."

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Determined not to let his condition confine him to a wheelchair, he made a bold decision:

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"With how the illness is, if I fall and break my hand and leave it like that, it would stay like that forever. And I wanted to further my education. I didn’t want to be sitting in a wheelchair. Even walking around like this, look at how people stare at me—then imagine sitting in a wheelchair. So I had to take the risk to stand so that when it is forming, it will block me in standing, not sitting."

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Now solely under his mother’s care following his father’s passing, Eshun struggles with the financial burden of private transportation to and from school. His condition also affects his ability to eat, as his jaw has stiffened, making it difficult to open his mouth.

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FOP is a rare genetic disorder that causes muscles and connective tissues to turn into bone, gradually forming a second “skeleton” that severely limits movement. Symptoms include malformed toes, progressive immobility, muscle swelling, difficulty in speaking and eating, breathing challenges, hearing impairment, and spinal curvature. Currently, there is no cure for the condition.

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Watch the interview with Enock Eshun below:

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Zionfelix Meets The University Of Cape Coast Student Who Can’t Sit And Has Been Standing For 5 Years pic.twitter.com/GOSAZzYrgZ— Zionfelix (@onua_zionfelix) February 8, 2025

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