MY ORDEAL WITH KIDNEY FAILURE – IFEANYI DIKE

Prince Ifeanyi Dike, an actor, movie producer and, is reputed to have founded the Actors’ Guild of Nigeria, AGN, back in the 90s. The amiable and talented man had a battle with kidney for years and had to get a transplant in India.

I want to thank the Almighty God. I went through the valley of the shadow of death and God brought me back. Now, my life is dedicated to the service of God. My philosophy in life has changed because there is nothing in this life. Most people who empathized with me are even dead. Those who prayed for me saying ‘this journey, you will go and come back,’ I came back and didn’t see some of them. I’ll like to say if you are sick, have positive people around you and a strong mind to believe. Faith comes when all hope is gone. My wife was a great support during my ordeal. I owe her and her family so much gratitude. I even started AGN in India. 

 Did you ever think you wouldn’t make it?

Yes, when I was cash-strapped. I started thinking of how heaven will look like. But later I resolved in my mind. I started giving people appointments on the sick bed which to me is positive thinking. I was casting my image into the future. God has a reason for keeping me alive. Don’t be surprised if you see me talk from the pulpit. If you are a millionaire and you are on dialysis, your pocket will run dry. The cost of dialysis is N70, 000 and you’ve to do it 3 times a week. I was on dialysis for one year.

In Nigeria people wait in turns to use one ECG machine. We should try as much as possible to develop the health sector. Abroad, dialysis is free of charge. But here in our country, it is not so. Patients pay through their nose for this dialysis and that is why most people die as a result of not being able to afford it. Government should use SURE-P money to pay for all the people who need this in Nigeria and make the service free of charge. I say so because as the patient waits in the hospital, he can easily get a donor and the transplant can be done at once. The  success rate is higher than in Nigeria because they have things to follow up.  

Culled from Leadership