Comedian Mannerson Oduor Ochieng, popularly known as Akuku Danger, has had several brushes with death while battling the chronic disease of sickle cell anemia.
Speaking during an interview on the Iko Nini podcast, Akuku Danger said that in the course of his treatment, several medics advised his family to prepare for his death.
The comedian disclosed that in Migori medics advised his family to take him back home to die as there was nothing they could do to alleviate his condition.
“Kuna places mingi sana tumewai ambiwa huyu mtoto wako huyu hatapita 18 years old, by the time anafika 18 atakua amepass. Kuna ata time manze nko mgonjwa hivi vibaya sana nimelala hapa kwa kitanda mamangu ndo huyu hapa anaambiwa huyu hakuna kitu tunawezafanya, rudini tu nyumbani angoje time. That was in Migori,” Akuku said.
The comedian also recalled that in Nairobi medics advised his family against admitting him to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), saying that they should use the money to prepare for his funeral because they were 100 per cent sure he was going to die.
“In Nairobi here, I don’t want to tarnish the name of the hospital, but bro babangu aliambiwa hakuna haja ya huyu kijana awekwe kwa ICU. Huyu mutakua tu munaharibu pesa. So nyinyi muchague ju sisi we are here to make money. So kama mtataka aende tutamueka tu kwa machine but jueni tu hapa hakuna kitu tunangoja. So mimi naona hio pesa endeni muanze kutayarisha mazishi yake. I have heard those, but we are still here God bado ako na purpose na sisi,” he narrated.
Akuku Danger advised people suffering from sickle cell anemia never to give up in their fight against the chronic disease.
“Those are myths yenye sickler ama care givers ama parents mutaambiwa huko nje vibaya sana. Hold onto the faith, you are a warrior for a reason and you will still soldier on.“
Sickle cell carrier
Akuku Danger further said that he will be very careful when he decides to sire a kid because he doesn’t want to pass sickle cell to his offspring.
Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a blood disorder that a child is born with. It’s passed down through a parent’s genes. If both parents have sickle cell trait (HbAS) there is a one in four (25%) chance that any given child could be born with sickle cell anaemia. There is also a one in four chance that any given child could be completely unaffected [sic].
“For a carrier unaweza na traits za sickle cells but you can’t be affected. But the moment huyu mtu mwenye ako na carrier akipatana na mtu mwenye they are also carriers automatically their child become a sickler. Mtoto wao anakua kama mimi sasa,” Akuku Danger noted.
The 33-year-old comedian said that he would not have a baby with his partner if she is a sickle cell carrier or if she has a positive rhesus factor.
“No matter how much I love her if she is a carrier ama kama blood group yake ni positive I can’t have a baby with her. Itabidi tu contraceptives nini nini but I wouldn’t want to bring another child in this earth with the same condition as mine because bro it’s tough.
“Mbaka sahi nakaanga kwa nyumba I ask myself how did my father do it because it’s a lot of money. So imagine nimezaliwa nayo hivyo all the way mbaka sahi I am 33 how much do you think he spent on medication alone?” Akuku said.
“It is something I wouldn’t gamble with, as a person I wouldn’t gamble with that. That’s why ata before nipee Sandra Dacha mimba itabidi tumetembea kwa daktari kidogo tuone kama yeye ni rhesus positive. Rhesus positive ni wale wenye wako kwa blood group yako unaskia uko na A+, B+ O+ hizo. So hao wa positive wakipatana na mtu kama mimi mtoto lazima akue na sickle cells. Ama wakipatana na carrier mtoto anaweza kuwa na sickle cells ama anaweza kuwa carrier.
“Kuna hio probability, high probability mtoto atakuwa na sickle cells. And wouldn’t want to bring another kid into this world with sickle cells because I have seen the journey myself, najua kenye imekua and it’s not something that I would want to bring mtoto mwingine pia kupata that kind of hizo pains zote,” he explained further.
Huge hospital bill
Akuku Danger was very sick in early 2022. He was admitted to Nairobi West Hospital in late December 2021 after his condition deteriorated.
The comedian was in and out of hospital for the better part of 2022.
Akuku was discharged from Nairobi West Hospital on June 20, 2022, but could not be released to go home because of the huge bill.
His girlfriend Sandra Dacha revealed that Akuku’s bill had accrued to a whopping Ksh823,000 after deductions from his insurance.
