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Comedian Akuku Danger has been vocal about his battle with sickle cell anaemia and recently spoke about the traumatic experience.
Speaking on the Iko Nini podcast, Akuku said he found out he had the disease when he was just 7 years old and during subsequent visits to the hospital, his parents were told that he had a few years to live.
Now 33, the former Churchill show comedian recalled an incident when medics advised against taking him to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) because they believed he would not make it.
"I don't want to tarnish the name of the hospital, but bro babangu aliambiwa hakuna haja ya huyu kijana awekwe kwa ICU. Huyu mtakuwa tu mnaharibu pesa. So nyinyi mchague ju sisi we are here to make money.
“So kama mtataka aende tutamuweka tu kwa machine but jueni tu hapa hakuna kitu tunangoja. So mimi naona hio pesa endeni muanze kutayarisha mazishi yake. I have heard those, but we are still here God bado ako na purpose na sisi," he said.
Also read: Akuku speaks on losing consciousness for days
Akuku also described the excruciating pain he has persevered over the years saying he would not want to sire a child who will go through the same.
"No matter how much I love her (my partner) if she is a carrier ama kama blood group yake ni positive I can't have a baby with her. Itabidi tu contraceptives nini nini but I wouldn't want to bring another child on this earth with the same condition as mine because it's tough.
"Mpaka sahi nakaanga kwa nyumba I ask myself how did my father do it because it's a lot of money. So imagine nimezaliwa nayo hivyo all the way mbaka sahi I am 33 how much do you think he spent on medication alone?" Akuku said.
According to Mayo Clinic, sickle cell anaemia is a hereditary disorder that affects the shape of red blood cells which carry oxygen to all parts of the body.
Once affected, some of the red blood cells change in shape and become ‘sickle-like’, similar to crescent moons.
This makes them rigid which in turn slows down or blocks normal blood flow.
Some of the symptoms include periodic joint pains, swelling of hands and feet, and vision problems.
