Nollywood veteran actor, Zachee Orji has revealed how he underwent two brain surgeries in Nigeria.
Orji made this revelation in an interview with Channels TV yesterday.
The Nollywood star had slumped in the bathroom, leading to a critical medical emergency.
He said, “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.”
His friend, Bala Ahmed, who was in the UK at the time, was alerted by people at Orji’s house. This prompted a swift response from colleagues who hurriedly came to his aid.
The actor said, “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 added.
Upon receiving the news, Orji’s wife, who was in Lagos at the time, flew to Abuja. On January 1, the first surgery was performed by a neurosurgeon, Dr. Biodun Ogungbo.
“He’s an awesome guy,” Orji said.
But, a month later, after scans revealed a residual blood clot, Orji underwent a second surgery performed by Dr. Ogungbo.
Meanwhile, Orji received support from prominent figures, including the President of Nigeria, the President’s wife, the Vice President’s wife, the President’s son, and various ministers.
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. 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 said.
Orji, after his recovery in Nigeria, however, 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,” he said.
