Veteran actor Zack Orji has revealed his story after collapsing and requiring two brain operations in Nigeria.
In an interview with Channels TV on Sunday, Orji described the events that occurred when he slumped in the restroom, resulting in a major medical emergency.
“I slumped in the bathroom, and I can only say that it’s by the grace of God that I’m alive today because I passed out. I was out for like five and a half hours before help came,” Orji shared.
People in Orji’s residence contacted his buddy, Bala Ahmed, who was in the UK at the time, prompting a quick reaction from colleagues, who raced to his help.
“Benedict Johnson rushed to the house, and I was there on the floor, incoherent. I couldn’t even stand because when he raised me, I slumped again, and he had to call another colleague whom we call Labista. So the two of them lifted me on their shoulders from the second floor to the ground floor and took me to the National Hospital,” Orji recounted.
Orji’s wife, who was in Lagos at the time, rushed to Abuja to get the news, and on January 1st, Dr. Biodun Ogungbo, a neurosurgeon, conducted the first operation.
“He’s an awesome guy,” Orji said.
A month later, when scans indicated a remnant blood clot, Orji had a second operation with the same specialist.
Orji stated that he received support from significant persons such as the President of Nigeria, the President’s wife, the Vice President’s wife, the President’s son, and several ministries.
He said, “But in all of it, I’m grateful to God Almighty and I’m also grateful to so many people who stepped in. The President of Nigeria, the First Lady, the wife to the Vice President, the President’s son, the Minister for Women’s Affairs, the Minister for Arts, Culture, and the Creative Economy, the Minister for Works, and a whole lot of other people.
“I was receiving calls from South Africa, from the UK, from the US, from some of them were willing to, they were asking me, how can we help? How can we be of assistance? So it was overwhelming the way people responded to the whole thing,” Orji expressed.
After his recovery in Nigeria, Orji was advised to seek post-surgery assessment in the UK, where he consulted with Dr. John Yeh.
“I’m grateful to God Almighty and I’m also grateful to so many people who stepped in,” Orji stated.