At 31, Ruby Agu’s health spiraled—low blood pressure, heart complications, postpartum bleeding, and two major surgeries in just a few years. But what nearly broke her, built her. Through grit, grace, and unwavering resilience, she transformed her pain into purpose—and became the force behind FitAuntyRuby. This is not just a story of fitness. It’s a story of survival, healing, and the power of rising again.
Most people have goals. But not everyone has a strategy. Femi Luther-Abegunde (FLA) breaks down the habits, systems, and identity shifts that move people from confusion to clarity — and from stuck to strategic. Purpose doesn’t need adrenaline — it needs structure.
We often hear that necessity is the mother of invention. But sometimes, it’s raw, personal, and unrelenting grief that pushes a person to change the world.
That was the case for Dr. Ola Brown – a Nigerian-British medical doctor, entrepreneur, helicopter pilot, and investor. But more than anything else, she is a woman who saw the devastating void between life and death, and chose to build a bridge across it. That bridge became Flying Doctors Nigeria.
But her journey didn’t begin in a hospital or boardroom. It started with the ache of loss.
Humble Beginnings in the UK
Born in 1986 as Olamide Orekunrin, she was raised in Lowestoft, a quiet coastal town in England, by a white British foster family. The home was modest, but rich in discipline, compassion, and a deep respect for education.
At just 15 years old, she enrolled in medical school at the University of York, later becoming one of the youngest medical doctors in the UK. But it wasn’t her brilliance that shaped her path, it was tragedy.
The Moment That Changed Everything
Years later, during a family visit to Nigeria, her younger sister, who had a chronic health condition—fell critically ill. Ola and her family needed to fly her to a hospital with better care. To their shock, no functional air ambulance service existed in the entire region.
They tried everything. But time ran out. Her sister died, not for lack of love or money, but because the system failed.
“We had the means, we had the will, but we didn’t have the infrastructure. I could stay angry, or I could create what we lacked.” – Dr. Ola Brown
Becoming the Solution
Instead of returning to a comfortable career in the UK, Ola took an extraordinary step. She trained as a helicopter pilot, studied emergency medical systems around the world, from the UK to South Africa to the UAE—and moved to Nigeria to build what had never existed before.
She started with a single aircraft, a handful of trained doctors, and an unshakable conviction that every life, no matter where it begins, is worth saving.
“People told me Africa wasn’t ready. But that’s exactly why I came—because we have to be ready. Lives can’t keep waiting.” – Dr. Ola Brown
Flying Beyond the Skies
Today, Flying Doctors Nigeria has transported thousands of patients, providing emergency medical services to oil companies, private clients, and governments. From remote areas to crash sites, their work is saving lives in places once deemed unreachable.
Her mission remains clear: to reduce preventable deaths by strengthening Africa’s healthcare systems.
A New Kind of Leadership
Dr. Ola Brown represents a powerful shift in African leadership – one rooted in vision, fearlessness, and personal conviction. Her work has earned her global recognition, from Forbes and CNN to the World Economic Forum, where she was named a Young Global Leader. She is also a recipient of the national honour of Member of the Order of the Federal Republic (MFR) in Nigeria.
Yet she stays grounded in the reason she began: a promise never to let another family suffer what hers did.
“Purpose doesn’t always come from passion,” she said. “Sometimes, it comes from pain. And when it does, it can be the most powerful kind.”
What Her Story Teaches Us
Dr. Ola’s journey shows us that you don’t need perfect conditions to start. You don’t need everyone to agree. Sometimes, you just need the courage to build what doesn’t exist yet.
Her story isn’t just about flying helicopters, it’s about lifting people out of helplessness, through vision, grit, and love.
This Inspire Monday, Ask Yourself:
Where is the system broken around you?
What pain have you experienced that the world hasn’t fixed?
What would happen if you stopped waiting, and started building?
The path won’t be easy. But as Dr. Ola Brown shows us, when you let purpose rise from your pain, your impact can reach beyond what you ever imagined, even as far as the sky.
