Sosoliso Plane Crash Survivor, Kechi To Shell: Thank You For Saving My Life

Survivor of the 2005 Sosoliso plane crash that claimed many lives, Miss Kechi Okwuchi, has expressed gratitude to The Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Ltd (SPDC) for the medical and financial assistance the company rendered to her after the tragic incident.
Kechi, who visited the company along with her father’s friend, Mazi Victor Okoronkwo and her aunty, Mrs. Uloma Umeano was received by the Managing Director of the SPDC, Osagie Okunbor, and Country Chair of the Shell Companies in Nigeria.
Miss Kechi recalled during the thank-you visit to Shell that on December 10, 2005, Shell intervened, “notwithstanding the medical uncertainty to save life regardless of cost; intervention propelled by a corporate policy that puts life above else. We thank and applaud you for it.
“I am incredibly grateful and I walk through every day of my life knowing that I am here today because of the amount of effort SPDC put into making sure that I stayed alive…you came when all looked dark and you shone a light of hope into my life.”
She said that her family would remain grateful to SPDC for ensuring that she received the best medical care available.
“I have never seen this kind of kindness from a corporation before.”
Kechi also presented a certificate of recognition from the Shriners Hospitals for Children (Galveston, Texas) to SPDC for its thoughtful and generous contribution to the hospital.
Responding, Mr. Okunbor said: “it was instinctive for us as an organisation to react the way we did as the most important thing for us then was to save and preserve lives. Even though we were not directly involved, the leadership decided that we had to intervene and do all we could as a company to help and today, I am happy we did.”
Miss Kechi, who was returning from school in Abuja to Port Harcourt, survived the crash but suffered third-degree burns. When her plight came to the notice of SPDC, the company promptly stepped in and ensured that she was air-lifted to South Africa for immediate medical attention and treatment.
She later moved to the United States where she has undergone several surgeries with SPDC’s continued financial support.