Few weeks ago, I got a call that one of my friends, who is a renowned philanthropist, was sick, and I decided to visit to check on him. When I got there, I saw the pains in him and could not hold my emotions. He is a chronic diabetic patient who sustained an injury in one of his legs that somehow got infected and started decaying.
I was dumbfounded to the brim because, despite all these pains, he was still trying to save a woman who, he said, came to his last program at Okpara Square and was sent to Niger Foundation for medical care. He was seriously worried about the life of that woman despite being in pains.
What shocked me most was when the doctor came to treat him and was demoralized over the extent of the damage to his leg. Before my friend could sleep, he needed a series of injections, without which he could not sleep at all. These injections cost thousands of naira, as well as other treatments. There is also another one called insulin that he injects almost five times a day. In fact, he is used to it and the needle pains.
I called the physician out, and we began to gist. It was there I discovered that the sugar level in my friend’s body was not only enormous but very high to the point that his urine smelled like sugar. It is a high-grade type of diabetes. The doctor told me that my friend does not always follow medical advice on what to eat and avoid, among other things, but he added that my friend would still be well. That last statement gave me hope.
I decided to have a talk with him, and after that, I realized that good health is underrated in this life. He is always in pains, yet he spends his time, energy, and resources to help people. He asked me, “Bookastro, what is life without eating good food? Look at my age. How long will I live this kind of life?” He said he would try his best, but it is not easy, and then he started crying, which made the whole place emotional.
He also told me stories of how the state government took away over 4,000 plots of land from their company at Independence Layout Phase 2 for development purposes, how clients have been on his neck to refund their money, and how he has been struggling to make refunds while also assisting the sick, among other challenges. All these contribute to his failing health, which costs him millions monthly.
The most annoying part of this experience was when I opened his phone and began to see abuses from people who lost their loved ones after several futile attempts to get his attention for fundraising. To them, he is the cause of their loss. None cared about his personal pains, but as usual, he would pretend to be okay while being emotionally broken inside.
It is important for us to know that there is a spirit that guides what he does. He cares not about his relationship with anyone, whether family or friend. Once the spirit leads him to someone, he begins the work of fundraising. His mother is in a critical condition, yet he cannot raise funds for her because it is not within his spiritual assignment. Is it not surprising that 97 percent of the people he helps are not known to him at all? He does not even know or collect a dime from them. To him, it is his divine evangelism, and if he compromises it, the grace could disappear.
Dear brethren, Okwuruola Ndị Igbo is a human being who is neither perfect nor without fault. Staying for three days in his house exposed me to the challenges he faces daily, and it is only our prayers and support that can help him.
He is not rich, as many people think, but he has a spirit of giving that is rare and genuine. He holds nothing tightly to this world. It was then I understood why he always says, “Give me a hug.” He truly needs it.
Sometimes, behind the smiles of a helper lies a heavy heart begging silently for rest. Many see the strength, but few see the sleepless nights spent thinking about others. Even when he is weak, he still tries to be strong for everyone around him.
The burden carried by philanthropists in Nigeria is much that many forget that they are humans. Dear beautiful maiden, whenever you see Okwuruola Ndị Igbo, give him a hug;while we wait for him to make his choice of a wife.
However, quick recovery bro.
Written by Bookastro Nwogwugwu Ọgwụ Gburuscastro Sebastine
