Veteran Nollywood actor Zack Orji has opened up about a harrowing experience that left him undergoing two brain surgeries in Nigeria.
In an interview on Channels TV on Sunday, Orji recounted the events that unfolded when he slumped in the bathroom, leading to a critical 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.
Orji’s friend, Bala Ahmed, who was in the UK at the time, was alerted by people at Orji’s house, prompting a swift response from colleagues who rushed to his aid.
“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, flew to Abuja upon receiving the news, and on January 1st, the first surgery was performed by Dr. Biodun Ogungbo, a neurosurgeon.
“He’s an awesome guy,” Orji praised.
A month later, after scans revealed a residual blood clot, Orji underwent a second surgery by the same doctor.
Orji noted that he 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, 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.
