A few days ago, news reports had it that
the self-styled King of Crossover music, Alariwo of Africa (real name
is Rotimi Martins), was critically ill and in need of about $130,000,
which is the equivalent of N26m, for an urgent surgery abroad.
The
reports also said the popular artiste had been diagnosed with a disease
known as Varicocele, which is described in medical terms as an
enlargement of veins inside the scrotum.
When
our correspondent spoke with Alariwo at the Excellence Hotel in the
Ogba area of Lagos on Thursday, he said that while it was true that he
had an issue with his health, it was not as critical as the reports,
which were mostly published online, implied.
He said, “People have been speculating about my health lately. Some reports even said I was bedridden. This is not true. I was not bedridden and I have never been. But it is true that I am about to undergo surgery.“I am still trying to find the right place to have it done. I have to choose either India, Germany, Israel, England or America. I have been taking some drugs to slow down the pain in my scrotum until I am ready to undergo surgery. All I just need is enough funds to travel abroad and treat it.”
The
singer, who was looking as spritely as ever, said he had had a very
rough time coping with his own condition and taking care of his sick
wife, who recently came down with a medical condition known as acute
pulmonary embolism and was admitted in a Lagos hospital.
“I have been going through a lot, these past weeks. My wife has been in the hospital for over one month. She has been down with acute pulmonary embolism. It has been very tough, but God has taken control. The doctors at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital said only a few people could survive the ailment. I am happy that she is one of them.“But her treatment has cost me quite a lot of money. I spent an average of N54,000 everyday for about 19 days. Apart from this, I was buying a drug called Clexin at N37,000 for her every week.“She received a total of about 96 injections altogether on her shoulder during the period that she was undergoing treatment. And all that while, I didn’t leave her bedside. I was with her in the hospital,” Alariwo said.efore his wife’s case came up, the singer added, he had planned to raise funds and travel abroad for his own treatment. But, faced with a bigger challenge, he had to sell his car in order to pay her medical bills.
Nevertheless,
Alariwo expressed gratitude to those who came to his aid in his moments
of need. “Before now, I didn’t want to talk about my health or my wife’s
illness or the challenges I have faced these past weeks. I had decided
not to make my problems known to the public for some reasons. I guess
the details were leaked through one or two friends of mine that I
whispered to and they were blown out of proportion online. I never made a
public appeal for funds nor called a press conference for that purpose.
“But it is when you find yourself in a situation like this that you know those that are your true friends. A lot of people were kind enough to provide support during the crisis. I am talking about people like Ayo Animashaun, Otunba Sesan Rufai and many others,” he said.
The
singer was full of praises for popular stand-up comedian, Julius Agwu,
who phoned a few days ago to surprise him with a donation of $35,000.
“Julius is the only entertainer that has volunteered to donate the sum
of $35,000 to my cause. I was shocked when he called to say he would
give me the money. Now what I should be looking for is the balance. I
want to thank him for this wonderful gesture,” he said.
Other
friends and colleagues of the Crossover king, such as Agatha Amata and
Dayo Adeneye, have also expressed their desire to support his quest for
additional funding.
Alariwo still
needs to raise some funds for his planned medical trip abroad. He needs
about $130,000 for his own treatment and for what is left of his wife’s
bills. Meanwhile, his wife is said to be getting better and responding
to treatment.
Culled From PUNCH
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