[nfbmi-talk] ozzie reunited fox tv

Fri Apr 18 15:27:12 UTC 2014

Thanks for posting this Joe! A lot of us are concerned about him down here. 
He has a lot of friends in Ann Arbor as well as Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "joe harcz Comcast" <joeharcz at comcast.net>
To: <nfbmi-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Friday, April 18, 2014 8:08 AM
Subject: [nfbmi-talk] ozzie reunited fox tv

GRANDVILLE, Mich. ( April 16, 2014) — A blind man hit by a vehicle while 
walking home last month has been reunited with his team for the first time 
since

the accident.

Ozzie Koroma, 23,  has been recovering at Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation 
Hospital, but on Wednesday, he got to take a trip to see his friends.

Ozzie’s guide dog was killed in the accident, and he thinks that’s what 
saved his life.

His goal ball team is called the Mary Free Bed Sonics. The team practiced at 
Central Elementary School in Grandville on Wednesday.

“It’s like a part of home, and it’s good to be back and talking with people, 
hanging out, and just having fun as always,” said Ozzie.

Ozzie was on his way home from practice in Wyoming when he was hit.

Volunteer coach Maeling Groya said that she was horrified when she found 
out.

“I was actually at work and I just cried. It was so sad. It was really 
mortifying that not all of us were there to be of more assistance, but he 
takes the

bus everyday and accidents happen,” said Groya.

Ozzie’s teammates said that his spirit hasn’t changed.

“He’s got such an effervescent personality. He’s always upbeat. He’s always 
positive. He’s got a great attitude,” said teammate Frank Kapugia.

The team said that they are a close knit group, sharing their struggle with 
blindness, but not letting it stop them from reaching their goals.

Ozzie’s teammates said that they themselves have had close calls when it 
comes to walking near the roadway.

“I’m sure any of us can tell stories about, you know what it’s like to be 
out, even on the sidewalk crossing the street. People just don’t have 
awareness

of what that means,” said teammate Dave Cummins.

“Most of us are always as cautious as we can be, but we are still human 
beings and we are still not above making an error in judgement,” said 
Kapugia.

Ozzie said that he plans to go home from the hospital on Monday.

There is a fund setup for Ozzie to help with medical expenses. Ozzie also 
said that his laptop was broken when he was hit by the car, and is looking 
forward

to getting a new one.

If you would like to help donate to Ozzie’s support fund, you can email 
Opportunities Unlimited for the Blind. Their email is

gwen at oubmichigan.org.
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