Dr Feranmi Okanlami is an Assistant Professor of Family Medicine and Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the University of Michigan.
He also holds the position of the Director of Medical Student Programs in the Office of Health Equality and inclusion and the Director of Adaptive Sports at Michigan Center for Human Athletic Medicine and Performance.
He received his medical degree from the University of Michigan before specializing in orthopedic surgery at Yale. Early in his third year, he had a spinal cord injury that left him paralyzed from the chest down.
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Quick Facts About Dr Feranmi Okanlami
| Name | Feranmi Okanlami |
| Birthplace | Lagos, Nigeria |
| Profession | Doctor |
| Wife | Marielle |
| Children | One |
GMA: Who Is Dr Feranmi Okanlami’s Wife, Marielle?
Dr. Feranmi Okanlami is married to his wife, Marielle.
She must be a devoted wife as she supports her husband, who is paralyzed from the chest down.
Her husband, Dr. Feranmi Oklanlami, is a very famous personality in the United States of America. He was born in Nigeria and immigrated to the United States of America at a very young age.
He attended Deerfield Academy and went to Stanford University, ran Track and Field, served as the captain in his last two seasons, and earned the Academy All-American recognition.
After receiving his medical degree from the University of Michigan, he matched into Yale’s orthopedic surgery program. He had a spinal cord injury at the start of his third year that left him paralyzed from the chest down.
After two operations and extensive therapy, he regained some motor function. He travels the world in a wheelchair and manages the various long-term effects of an incomplete cervical spinal cord injury.
Later, he graduated from The University of Notre Dame with a Master’s degree in Engineering, Science, and Technology Entrepreneurship. He finished his family medicine residency at Memorial Hospital in South Bend, Indiana.
In addition to being on the board of the non-profit River City Challenged Athletes, which supports the local adaptive sports teams, he previously served on the St. Joseph County Board of Health, which was established by Pete Buttigieg, the current Secretary of Transportation and then-mayor of the city.
He was a guest on Robin Roberts’ ‘Thriver Thursday’ segment on Good Morning America. His catchphrase is ‘Disabusing Disability,’ which he uses to argue that being disabled need not imply being incapable.
He was honored with the ‘A Teacher’s Teacher Award’ by the Academy of Medical Educators and won Michigan Medicine’s Distinguished Early Career Alumni Award in 2020. Heis a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honors Society.
He has a son who is 11 years old. He has posted several pictures of his son on his Instagram account and seems to enjoy spending time with him, going on holidays, and being an inspiration to him. They recently took a trip to Spain, and he posted several pictures of their vacation there.
According to one of his Instagram posts, his son signed a contract with Ann Arbor Baseball and seemed very proud of it as he made the announcement.
What Is Dr Feranmi Okanlami’s Net Worth In 2022?
According to Glassdoor, a medical doctor earns around $199,571 a year. Therefore, Dr Feranmi Okanlami must have gathered a decent amount of net worth during his career as a physician and doctor.
After receiving his MD from the University of Michigan, he pursued a Master’s degree in Engineering, Science, and Technology Entrepreneurship from The University of Dame.
Through his work and life, he wants to show that being disabled does not equate to being incapable. Currently living at the nexus of race and disability, he concentrates on improving diversity, equity, and inclusion widely.
He talks about how disability is just one component of diversity, but it’s one that many diversity projects frequently overlook. He gives speeches nationwide on issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion, such as the lack of male doctors and building an inclusive health system for patients and healthcare professionals with impairments.
He is also in charge of expanding the adaptive sports program, allowing everyone accesses to competitive, recreational, and physical fitness sports.
He had the unique privilege of serving his university as a student and an athlete at Stanford, where he was a two-time captain and Academic All-American athlete. He learned that student-athletes with disabilities aren’t afforded the same opportunities as those without when a spinal cord injury changed his course.
He is now committed to giving that opportunity to student-athletes with disabilities across the nation By founding and overseeing the University of Michigan’s Adaptive Sports & Fitness Program. His long-term objective is to have the NCAA recognize adaptive sports programs as legitimate NCAA entities.
Dr Feranmi Okanlami Received $1 Million Surprise
Dr. Feranmi Okanlami received a $1 million surprise on October 20, 2022, from The Craig H. Neilsen Foundation.
He received the money in front of his well-wishers, family, son, friends, and the people motivated by his inspiring journey. An anchor from ‘Good Morning America’ was present when he received the surprise of $1 million.
He was a former All-American track, which turned into a real-life hero in the disguise of a doctor who dedicated his entire life to helping others, closely working with adaptive athletes after suffering a life-changing spinal cord injury ten years ago.
Being the director of Disability Services and Adaptive Sports at the University of Michigan, he has always sought excellence. Even after a significant setback in 2013, which would have made others unable to stand or walk, he challenged the odds every second of his life.
His mother was also present there and said he always made them proud in school and his personality. He received multiple awards for his outstanding character and resembled an American athlete.
He dreamt of multiple things and was close to achieving everything. He went to medical school, was admitted into a high-class orthopedic residence surgery program that he always wanted, and was living the best moment of his life.
But the Stanford graduate saw his dreams drifting away when he suffered a spinal cord injury at a pool party in 2013. His mother said that his injury was so severe that most people would have given up hope on ever being able to walk again, but he did not lose courage. He continued to push himself to the limit at every stage of his rehab when people told him he would not be able to do certain things.
His son Alex said that his dad is his inspiration, and watching him get back on his feet and do lovely things that he loved even after experiencing such a drastic accident is the reason for his respect and love towards him.
His colleague Erik Robeznieks said he was a high-performance athlete and credits access to sport as one of the primary reasons he found his new passion In life.
He made his mission to create an adaptive sports and fitness program at the University of Michigan to inspire people like Caiden Baxter, a wheelchair tennis player, and others like him to find happiness in their lives once again.
Baxter said that he loves being able to show people that men in chairs with disabilities are also qualified to engage in high-level sports, and he is able to enjoy the game of sports. He credited Okanlami for his current happiness, showing him that it was possible.
According to Jessica Wynne, head wheelchair basketball coach, everything starts with a dream and a vision, and Dr. O’s vision is recognizing that he wants access for more people.
Okanlami was stated by Dr. Robert Ernst, the university’s director of student life, as one of the most significant voices in the community of people with disabilities. Because of that, he makes the world a better place.
In his thank-you speech, Dr. O expressed gratitude to the Craig H. Neilsen Foundation for helping people with spinal cord injuries worldwide, including those participating in his program.
He added the term “disabusing disability” a few years ago to illustrate that being disabled does not equate to being incapable.
Until he began to experience life from the other side of the stethoscope as a result of my spinal cord injury, he was unaware of how insensitive and inaccessible the world was and how he was unwittingly complicit to this world and met all these people with disabilities who have been doing amazing things.
Dr Feranmi Okanlami’s Family
He was born in Lagos, Nigeria, to his physician parents, Dr. Olufemi Oyetunji Okanlami and Dr. Olubunmi Abosede Okanlami.
He moved to America when he was three years old. He has an older sister who is two to three years older than him. The family first lived in Maryland when they first came to America.
His parents were physicians and got into Howard University to redo their residency training and then did their post-graduate from John Hopkins and Georgetown.
His family then relocated to Indiana, where he and his sister enrolled in a South Bend, California private, school. He has said multiple times that education was the most important thing his parents bestowed upon him and his sister.
According to his parents, education is something that provides an individual with tools to be able to take care of themselves and their families.
He got his motivation to study medicine after his parents and thus became one of the most recognized doctors in the United States. High-profile personalities follow him on his Instagram account, including the President of America.
Some FAQs
Who Is Dr Feranmi Okanlami’s Wife?
Dr Feranmi Okanlami is married to his wife, Marielle.
Where Was Dr Feranmi Okanlami Born?
Dr Feranmi was born in Lagos, Nigeria.
Who Are Dr Feranmi Okanlami’s Parents?
Dr Olufemi Oyetunji Okanlami and Dr Olubunmi Abosede Okanlami are the parents of Dr Feranmi Okanlami.
What Happened To Dr Feranmi Okanlami?
Dr Feranmi Okanlami experienced a spinal cord injury, paralyzing him from the chest down, at the beginning of his 3rd year.
Does Dr Feranmi Okanlami Have Siblings?
Yes, Dr Feranmi Okanlami has an older sister.
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