For Nigerian music video director ThankGod Omori, popularly known as TG Omori, battling kidney failure came with a financial burden that he said could overwhelm even someone earning N1m every month.
Omori opened up about the experience during an episode of the Afropolitan podcast published on YouTube on Wednesday.
The filmmaker spoke about the cost of staying on dialysis, his lengthy search for a suitable donor and the difficult experience of waiting for a transplant.
He explained that dialysis fees vary widely between hospitals. While some facilities charge around N50,000 to N70,000 per session, Omori said he paid between N150,000 and N200,000 at a private hospital.
The frequency of treatment made the situation even more expensive.
According to him, some patients need dialysis up to three times every week. He recalled spending around N500,000 to N600,000 weekly during his treatment.
Over several months, those expenses can run into millions of naira. Omori said he eventually spent about N31m on his transplant, after waiting roughly a year for the procedure.
But the financial strain was only one part of the ordeal.
Omori also spoke about his brother’s attempt to donate a kidney to him. He said the family spent nine months searching for a donor before doctors discovered that his brother’s kidney was not compatible with his body.
Doctors reportedly made further efforts to get Omori’s body to accept the kidney, but the attempts did not succeed.
He said the experience was particularly difficult because his brother had already gone through the donation process and would have to continue life with one kidney.
Looking back at the cost of his treatment, Omori said even a N1m monthly salary could prove inadequate for someone depending on regular dialysis.
His experience also changed his understanding of the importance of financial security during a health crisis.
Omori said his ordeal taught him that although money cannot guarantee happiness, it can provide access to treatment and, in critical moments, help buy more time.
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