Sad to see Mr Ibu give up a leg to stay alive
A statement released by John Okafor's Family through his Instagram on Monday, 6 November confirmed the worst fear about his amputation and that he has undergone seven surgeries.
![The doctors offering care to Mr John Okafor made him to undergo up to seven surgeries while trying to help him function better. [Instagram - realmribu]](https://meiza.ng/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Mr-John-Okafor-has-been-made-to-undergo-up-to-seven-surgeries-by-doctors-while-trying-to-help-him-function-better.-Instagram-realmribu-e1699292019236.jpg)
By Ayodele Johnson
The previous month of October was just about to complete its last sprint when the news of the actor John Okafor ‘Mr Ibu’ needing help to handle a medical impediment surfaced and there has been quite an outpouring of emotions and donations since then. He was to lose one of his legs if he failed to successfully raise the required sums needed to aid his treatment at a hospital and his family was drained. Help finally came which is why it is sad to see him have to give up a leg.
It was a video published via Mr Ibu’s Instagram on Wednesday 18 October that first announced the desperate situation he was living in at a Lagos hospital. The clip first shows the actor telling whoever might be watching about his deteriorating health. He had it in him to fight whatever ailment he was contending with, he only wanted a push from willing supporters.
A statement released by the Okafor Family through his Instagram on Monday, 6 November most certainly confirmed the worst.
First came a prologue that revealed an appreciation for the past assistance that was received halfway into the ordeal and then a continuation that reads: “As of 1 pm, noon today, Daddy has gone through 7 successful surgeries but to keep him alive and increase his chances of recovery one of his legs had to be amputated. This development has been hard on us all but we’ve had to accept it as Daddy’s new reality to keep him alive.”
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To keep Mr Ibu going, his family is asking that the financial support keeps coming because the actor is not out of the woods yet. What his loved ones hold on to as a motivation is the belief that soon enough it would be him doing the thanking personally, not them which is quite a positive attachment to have in the current situation.
Hardly is it a surprise that the experienced comic has received all the attention he could gather which is substantial. The former Senate President of Nigeria, Olubukola Saraki runs a charity called the Abubakar Bukola Saraki Foundation. A day after the video was posted, the non-profit put up a post on its Facebook stating that it had handled the bills while calling for more help.
More assistance came in the form of several other donations and prayers from a good place. Mr John Okafor has touched so many lives through his art which has resulted in the satisfaction that home video audiences enjoyed while growing up. This is why it is devastating information for that following when it learned of what has been going on with their favourite actor.
In faraway Zambia where there is an appreciation for West African filming, a fan felt heartbroken “to learn [that] Mr IBU will never do fun running anymore but we have to accept his reality because God knows. I’m from Zambia, 🇿🇲 but the whole [of] Africa knows and loves this man for your [contributions to] the entertainment industry. The note from Jerome Muma ended with “quick recovery”.
