OB! I'm NDC But NPP Saved My Life -Hon Adu Asare Recounts Dialysis Story

Added: 2026-05-20

[00:00:00]Sometimes they say you leave the best for the last. But me me me me fool say sometimes you you lose the relevance when you leave them for last. Let me give a few people, mention some few names.

[00:00:12]>> Okay. In my dialysis days >> Mhm.

[00:00:15]uh somebody like Honorable Ameyaw-Kumi.

[00:00:18]Ameyaw-Kumi, roads former roads and highways minister.

[00:00:21]>> Yes. Wow.

[00:00:22]>> That man is an exceptional human being.

[00:00:27]Mhm. Exceptional human being.

[00:00:30]And please, Honorable Ben Ephraim Bediako Wofa, I mean that's how I call him.

[00:00:35]>> Yeah.

[00:00:36]Yeah.

[00:00:37]Yeah, we are more like relatives now than friends or whatever. So, he's he's my uncle.

[00:00:44]>> Yeah. Yeah. That man is a different character.

[00:00:48]Wow.

[00:00:50]Yeah. However you want to paint him it's your business, but me sitting here, Kojo Adu Asare what that man has done in my life >> Mhm.

[00:01:01]I will never forget it. Wow. Yeah, so you put his name first as in Yes. Yes.

[00:01:06]Yes. Yes. a big deal. Yes.

[00:01:08]That's my dialysis days.

[00:01:10]>> Yes.

[00:01:11]I will also mention your my own friend, brother, Andrew Mensah. Yeah, Honorable Andrew Mensah. Yes. Unfortunately, um only yesterday I got to know say he lost his brother.

[00:01:22]>> Sure. And I extend my condolences to him. I'm going to call him right from here and yeah, you know >> Wow. at least commiserate with him and all of that. Man, take that. I only heard I saw it on Facebook yesterday. Yeah, and um may the brother's soul rest in peace and may the family be comforted. Uh but I'll reach out to him.

[00:01:47]>> Andrew Mensah's And then when I fell I auto from the hospital.

[00:01:55]Bryan Acheampong paid every single bill.

[00:01:59]Hospital bill. Oh. At 37? Yes.

[00:02:05]It was around 270.

[00:02:07]Uh 27,000.

[00:02:08]>> 27,000.

[00:02:09]>> He brought me 30,000.

[00:02:12]Dr. Brian >> mom said 30,000.

[00:02:16]You know.

[00:02:18]Samuel Abu Jinapor. Samuel Abu Jinapor, yes. Former lands minister. Okay.

[00:02:24]Honorable Kwabena Kokofu. Yes. Dr. Henry Kwabena Kokofu. Yes.

[00:02:30]These people were pillars behind me in my dialysis.

[00:02:34]>> Dialysis days, no.

[00:02:36]Okay.

[00:02:38]And when I come to the your friend say the transplant.

[00:02:44]>> The transplant.

[00:02:46]That one on top of my list, once again, Yeah. Dr. Bernard Oko-Boye.

[00:02:52]Transplant, no. Dr. Bernard Oko-Boye.

[00:02:54]Bernard Oko-Boye.

[00:02:57]As far back as almost 2 years ago was when he reached out and did something that I could never imagine.

[00:03:13]I'm not I don't have his permission to mention whatever he did, but and this is not a This is a brother.

[00:03:26]>> Yeah. But sometimes these things worry some people, but >> I am a fair-minded person and I'm doing things as my my conscience directs.

[00:03:40]>> And I'm doing so because these are people nobody had to go and coerce.

[00:03:46]I must say it was called current story.

[00:03:48]>> Yeah, I'm saying. He stepped in at the right time.

[00:03:52]>> Wow.

[00:03:53]Wow. Okay. Oh. He came in first when it comes to transplant with transplant or known as top at the time since he gave me whatever I taste, you know. It took 1 and 1/2 years.

[00:04:06]And Sammy here transplant.

[00:04:11]Wow.

[00:04:12]You know.

[00:04:13]>> Oh. You see, he comes top. Number two is my brother Sammy. Sammy Gyamfi?

[00:04:17]>> Yes.

[00:04:19]Mhm. He also stepped in way back. At a critical point.

[00:04:23]>> Way back.

[00:04:25]When I was looking for a friend saying like going through the stages now. Yeah, they prepared towards you know, and you know, before you get into transplant you may have a donor.

[00:04:38]But compatibility is another thing.

[00:04:44]The fair we be cross matching. Cross matching no can feel.

[00:04:49]The BR between my okay, blood group, everything can be fine. But when it gets to when they put the two blood together to coexist and for them to check whether the antibodies can can, you know, stay in one place and function.

[00:05:07]That is where the problem is.

[00:05:10]And last year it was the first person first donor.

[00:05:16]Oh.

[00:05:17]>> Yes.

[00:05:18]And to go through one cycle is no joke.

[00:05:23]The test the test in and the time consumption.

[00:05:29]Because who here now donor here who here donor here and just say you are paying for all of it.

[00:05:37]You understand?

[00:05:40]Dr. Kobina me born in D because that is what is the money he gave me. That is what he did for me.

[00:05:48]Cuz they there, you know. I mean Sammy They came to help me prepare.

[00:05:56]You know.

[00:05:58]Start to foster.

[00:06:00]Finance Minister.

[00:06:02]I told him he's my brother.

[00:06:04]I know they are going to get to Parliament. Yeah.

[00:06:08]You know, you know everywhere. Myself, himself, and our planners London >> Sure.

[00:06:27]So, that relationship was there.

[00:06:28]>> Was there.

[00:06:29]And when I called him and told him from the normal hospital hall And I mean like I was going through the prep stage.

[00:06:37]And I mean you know, I've been telling me for so that day when I called I called and he picked up.

[00:06:45]Just relax.

[00:06:46]Let me know.

[00:06:48]When you I will see what I can do about it. And he stepped in.

[00:06:58]Tell me what was happening.

[00:07:00]Oh.

[00:07:04]He was like a liberal. Wow. He played different roles just to get me to this point. And he's still playing it.

[00:07:17]Let's see there.

[00:07:19]You know.

[00:07:20]Because the transplant is just an entrance.

[00:07:24]>> Yeah.

[00:07:25]To stay or to keep going >> Mhm.

[00:07:30]and not easy.

[00:07:31]You can have a transplant if you don't have what it takes to take go through the process.

[00:07:39]Yeah. Because you're I mean when I started from January, that first a year doctors know and my like when they discharged me, when I came on my own.

[00:07:51]Because when we get transplant now, they take care of you for some number of and then after that you are on your own.

[00:07:58]When I took over, the medication I was taking a day was about 1,020 cities every day.

[00:08:07]1,020 and I took it till the 19th of April.

[00:08:12]And when we give me free, one of the most expensive the end of so they are dropping on somewhere to 60 600 and something now and I'm [clears throat] still doing that daily. Yes.

[00:08:25]>> Yes.

[00:08:27]You know, it's not just transplant.

[00:08:30]It's not over when you have a transplant.

[00:08:32]Going forward, you need to Managing the There are some or there are one or two you have to live with for life.

[00:08:40]And it's not it's not cheap.

[00:08:43]I know they're daily for life.

[00:08:47]See we'll get there.

[00:08:50]I mentioned and of course Chief of Staff also Yes.

[00:09:01]Yes. I would also a friend say through the help of Honorable was able to pull some strings also. So, I got some help there. Oh, wow.

[00:09:15]And my brother Kojo Twum Boafo.

[00:09:17]Ah, FIC. FIC.

[00:09:20]As for him, long ago I should let him know.

[00:09:29]admission He did what he could do.

[00:09:35]That's right.

[00:09:38]Of course, by extension the presidency.

[00:09:42]>> That's then my family. Mhm. Who I will say say through it all they were with me here and there through the dialysis days and all of that masa.

[00:09:57]I'm mentioning these people because probably they could give you some substance to you know Yeah. but people who intercede on your behalf. And usually you get that from your family people.

[00:10:17]vampire for all the things that you need to get better.

[00:10:23]And my numerous friends like yourselves and so many others are Yeah, friends say I was saying you know And also those who made who who made promises that they didn't keep.

[00:10:48]Because the thought of it alone was good. was good.

[00:10:52]Maybe they had good intentions. They do so now yeah. Some of them had change of mind or whatsoever. You know, some just say I had no regrets at all. but They they they maybe they had issues they couldn't tell me but >> Sure. Which whichever way God you know I will say say if we human beings don't praise him, he can even raise stones >> To praise him.

[00:11:22]That's true. Uh-huh. If so if he can if human beings don't praise him and he can raise stones mind all of us say and I said why are you doing that I am will be.

[00:11:37]Not for some reason why you are here.

[00:11:40]Doesn't mean you may not get another person to step in.

[00:11:45]Maybe that fertile ground that whatever you were going to sow into know because we are all not just people you you give to and goes waste.

[00:12:02]When you give to us returns better in ways you will never believe it.

[00:12:10]It is some of us you you you you we are like fertile grounds.

[00:12:17]You have missed something.

[00:12:19]That is how I put it but like I And then the post transplant Why are after transplant after transplant Charlie me cash be lucky from you know the previous government's era Ministry of Roads.

[00:12:40]Because of during the NPP days that they see my uncle he advised me said Charlie brother man do this to support yourself in these times because when you are every time and you know because that no money is enough when you are doing dialysis.

[00:13:02]That the whole house will be just say in tatters.

[00:13:08]I'm telling you will be our Stop it.

[00:13:19]too much because Wow, because of that and I said what is called what we call what we call joy? You won't find it anywhere.

[00:13:33]You won't find it anywhere.

[00:13:36]It will affect your home.

[00:13:38]Because of your children would have to accompany you or your somebody.

[00:13:44]They have to leave whatever they are doing and and and follow you everywhere.

[00:13:49]That this is you can't do nothing.

[00:14:03]at the same time.

[00:14:05]It takes a while.

[00:14:09]and and and and blossom.

[00:14:11]It is whenever my friend before and his team come around and all of that. I can't I can't help but give them the kind of support that I can every now and then.

[00:14:23]Because my brother, I know it.

[00:14:27]dialysis center. And I went to greet a few friends.

[00:14:33]because me that they have been asking about me and some were even thinking that it could they could have been saying something has happened [clears throat] and they don't know. They needed to just go and show myself to them.

[00:14:45]So so it's a tough thing to hit any family.

[00:14:51]It is a classic government and I say country like the man who comes to say you're telling me a bank for a friend saying kidney for the purposes of other people to also we should be getting somewhere along those lines.

[00:15:13]So and also give some incentive to people who want to voluntarily donate organs. Yes, they can they can do themselves can work centrally but someone will do it.

[00:15:28]But there's not no no incentive into you know so there must be something and I'm ready.

[00:15:36]>> [clears throat] >> I'm ready in any way to help advocate for anything kidney failure. Anything.

[00:15:45]Yeah.

[00:15:47]For the past 6 years I've been living with kidney disease.

[00:15:54]6 years. Kidney failure.

[00:15:57]There was stages.

[00:16:00]Okay so stage one, stage two, stage three.

[00:16:03]Once it gets to stage four Then you are >> end stage.

[00:16:11]And once you get to the end stage you are stuck there's no way to reverse anything.

[00:16:18]A man for about four then one one four can tell you all manner of stories.

[00:16:24]But you you call DDA you end up in an emergency room one day.

[00:16:34]I say say a herbal herbal station when it gets to that point please you better seek proper medical care than to rely cuz concussion is now you never mind no can worsen the question. You understand?

[00:16:52]You know that will be my first advice to people.

[00:16:56]And once you get there then it means that you either go for a hemo dialysis.

[00:17:05]And I remember 6 years ago I'm not sure a lot of people knew a year program especially Wednesdays now by half almost Wednesday I'm not really most every >> consistently for 6 years.

[00:17:23]Because now my year dialysis Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.

[00:17:36]All of it.

[00:17:38]Because 6 years 2000 2020 >> 2020 >> January 24th and I was diagnosed.

[00:17:46]Since that time this is the 15th of of January this year.

[00:17:53]I've been on dialysis.

[00:17:57]And only dialysis is crazy.

[00:18:03]In the first place, you need to get up early morning sessions.

[00:18:09]So I get up 4:30 by 6:00 I've left home.

[00:18:13]I go to work at 6:45 7:00 I'm on the machine.

[00:18:18]For 4 hours. You are on the machine also for 4 hours.

[00:18:20]>> Yes. Every session I will be coming here.

[00:18:22]>> Yes.

[00:18:24]You are on the machine for 4 hours.

[00:18:28]What's up to earlier on I was driving.

[00:18:33]>> Yes. At a point I realized that I don't need to drive anymore.

[00:18:36]I had to you know employ a driver >> Yeah.

[00:18:40]to go around with me.

[00:18:44]I remember in that is 3 years ago.

[00:18:47]>> Yeah.

[00:18:48]I had an accident.

[00:18:51]It was after I had turned from dialysis.

[00:18:56]I may fall so I call this me then.

[00:18:58]>> Yes.

[00:19:00]That was when I fell.

[00:19:02]I collapsed. Yes. Yes, my BP dropped.

[00:19:08]And that was it.

[00:19:10]Fractured my hip.

[00:19:12]and that was it. I'm doing sorry now. My way went off. So, my house help and all that I had here said they are near me and come and save.

[00:19:26]You know, so from afar I was hearing daddy daddy daddy [music] daddy then then I woke up.

[00:19:32]Then they tried to say I'm sorry I'm doing sorry.

[00:19:39]Then they pulled me they didn't call me rolling on my round carpet to every so.

[00:19:44]You know what they did to me I had to burn my entire and then held me and I'm the coordinator.

[00:19:48]Then an ambulance was called in to come and pick me to 37.

[00:19:56]But it was after dialysis.

[00:20:01]So, so it was But within that period I was still I was on dialysis. Yes, I was doing dialysis whilst on admission on 37. With dislocated hip and all. Yes.

[00:20:19]Wow.

[00:20:21]Yes.

[00:20:28]But even within that period, you know, you still resumed your radio work and still tell them Anytime I got better I came here I was Yeah, they will pull my lever.

[00:20:42]Yeah, they will pull my lever and all that stuff and so.

[00:20:50]So, so all that time me I'm not the type who want to glorify pain and stuff, you know, me my negative situation weigh me down. You know, so I try to make something out of it. I mean after all you live only live once. And if you have to die, die a happy person. You understand?

[00:21:12]Don't be a miserable You don't die a miserable death.

[00:21:16]So, I will make I'll keep moving.

[00:21:26]I don't feel like it. What I say that I want to be actively actually doing something.

[00:21:33]So, dialysis I did for 6 years.

[00:21:41]Now, the 6th year.

[00:21:44]And we we we've heard say dialysis here very expensive.

[00:21:48]>> It is. My baby I'm on my 20th 650. 650 per session?

[00:21:52]>> Per session. 1950 every week. That's 1,950 >> Yes, weekly. Every week stand for the next 5 6 years.

[00:22:00]>> Because the first almost another year 450. The second year it went to 550. And it came to 2 650. Till like every 2 years we have cost so and constant and because I had it in mind say may year this procedure.

[00:22:17]So, one year no you know you weaken the system even before the time.