This is a personal plea to help save a friend of mine, Emmanuel Ugolee. No one who has followed the evolution of Nigerian entertainment would be a stranger to his name as we all recall his enormous contribution to its growth.
Many of us would also recall that in 2012 he was diagnosed with stage 5 of the chronic kidney disease which placed him on dialysis as the source of sustaining his life until he could get a kidney transplant which he got in India on February 22, 2012 paying for it by his own efforts.
Like many celebrities who had gone for transplant in India, it failed just six months after transplant.
Infact his creatinine level for measuring nomalcy never hit the required reading from the theatre until it packed up again It’s been about 5years since then and Emma Ugolee is still living with the nightmare of the disease and a 3 time weekly treatment called dialysis where he gets his blood purified for four hours at an average of N35,000 per session.
That is 48 hours at N420,000 in a month. You can do the maths for the last four and a half years. This is outside several expensive procedures and surgeries from varied complications that he has encountered in this period. Outside the fact that I personally do not have what it takes to watch anyone at all suffer on health grounds, I think there is only so much one man can take for so long and Emmanuel to me has stretched the limits of bearing this by himself and a few well meaning friends.
I have been particularly inspired by his positive spirit all this while. Dealing with so much mental, physical, emotional and financial strain with a positive spirit. Never sorry for himself or comfortable with being a dependant. When Emma Ugolee lost his job on health grounds in September 2015, I was moved by the zeal and hardwork with which he began his TV show ‘The Gist’ which is currently running on HipTv.
Even with extreme pain, Emmanuel would keep late nights making show the weekly show never fails while yet awaiting sponsorship. If you knew Emmanuel Ugolee you would not think twice about helping. He is reputed for having an extremely giving and hardworking spirit. He has had a large societal impact on enlightening the public on the disease with celebrity walks, Radio and Television campaigns etc It is time please to come to his aid.
He is currently dealing with stenosis of a major vein which is blotting his upper body even after a recent 8 hour sugery in the Kano state teaching hospital. His physicians admit that his body is getting tired and would best need the transplant soon. He is looking increasing weak and sick and it is dangerous to let this go on.
We would hate to loose him I am kindly calling on every well meaning individual who is reading this to please do what you can to help Emmanuel Ugolee go for his surgery in the United States early next year.
He is in current talks with the Kidney centre of the University of Maryland known for dealing with complex kidney disease cases and it is so far projected that a basic $10,000 would be required for all pre surgery evaluation and $90,000 for the actual live donor transplant. Emmanuel is a very intelligent, resourceful, warm, hard working and inspiring man that deserves your mercy.
Please show it as God greatly rewards you. Contributions may be sent to Emmanuel Ugolee, Zenith Bank 1002786554 Encouraging messages sent to 08033068465 is also sure to get to him