• He said he could not recognise anyone who visited him when he came out of ICU
Image: Saidi Abdala
Mannerson Ochieng, alias Akuku Danger, has said his family was scared he would die from his latest bout of sickle cell anaemia.
Speaking to Word Is, the 31-year-old comedian said he was in the hospital for two months after his lungs collapsed in December last year.
"I have lived with the disease all my life and around December 28, I felt bad and decided to go to the hospital for check-up," he said, adding that it was the last day he was 'alive'.
"I can't remember what happened in December and January. All I hear is that my lungs collapsed and they diagnosed me with pneumonia. My lungs are still regenerating."
Akuku was discharged in February with a bill of Sh1.5 million after exhausting his insurance cover and funds raised by well-wishers.
He said he was dead for four days and could not recognise anyone who visited him after he left the ICU.
"I remember when I came from the ICU, all I wanted was to write," he said.
"I asked for was a pen and a paper since I was having so many jokes in my head. I wrote a whole foolscap of jokes. I want to continue making people laugh. I couldn't remember anything."
Having lived with the disease all his life, Akuku said he was not worried.
"Subconsciously I couldn't remember who visited me while in the hospital. I started remembering things in February," he said.
Akuku said his parents started taking him to the hospital at a young age, but the disease is expensive to treat.
"Sickle cell is a funny disease. Sometimes I can be okay but the other minute, I am in so much pain. Patients react differently to it," he said.
"In most parts of Nyanza where I grew up, it is very common, but there is no sensitisation. Most parents are not aware of it.
"The government needs to visit those places. As the patient, I know what I need, but there are doctors who only give you painkillers.
"The drugs are too expensive for some parents. I am no longer scared since I love myself and I have come to a point where I have accepted myself."
He said after news spread that he had sickle cell, fans have been opening up on his social media accounts.
"There are so many sickle cell patients but they are hiding since they do not know anyone to speak to," he said, adding that when in primary school, he faced stigma from his teachers.
"I wanted to be punished and treated like the rest. It was a learning curve and I appreciate myself."
Akuku thanked his friends who came through for him while in hospital.
"I am used to being admitted to hospital. This time was worse since it even scared my family members but as a person, I felt I could still fight through."