This year began in a way I could never have imagined.
During the third week of January, while observing the 21-day fast at Winners’ Church, I was suddenly rushed to the hospital around 10 p.m. It started with violent vomiting and dizziness. I had to call on my neighbors, who quickly came to my aid and took me to the hospital, where I was treated for typhoid.
I thought that was the end of it.
It was only the beginning of a long and painful journey.
Two weeks later, the symptoms returned. This time, I called home. My dad sent my mum and his driver to pick me and my children from Sango Ota, where we were living because of my job, and bring us back to Lagos. Again, I was treated for typhoid.
When we got home, I met Daddy in a state that broke my heart. He had been battling diabetes for a while, and the sudden death of his beloved sister weighed heavily on him. We had to rush him to the hospital.
And while caring for him, the strange symptoms hit me again. I was treated for typhoid and malaria yet again, but by then it was becoming clearer that something else was wrong.
Ten days later, Daddy passed on.
My world shattered.
I kept asking myself what could have been done differently. Daddy didn’t wait to enjoy the fruit of his labor over me. The pain of his death—so sudden, so final—cut deeply. February became a month I will never forget.
But the ordeal didn’t stop there.
In March, the symptoms persisted. This time, doctors finally traced it to an ear problem. I went from hospital to hospital, spending money we were barely managing to live on, buying expensive drugs. Yet, even while on medication, the episodes continued—sometimes lasting three to twelve hours. The dizziness, the nausea, the weakness… it was relentless.
I cried. I prayed. I confessed God’s healing word over my body.
April came, and I had to make a painful decision: I resigned from my job because of my health. Still, the symptoms continued. Even in May, the battle raged on.
But in the middle of my pain, God kept speaking.
He gave me a song: Agalliao by Pastor Nathaniel Bassey and Apostle Iren. That song became my anchor, a melody of faith when my body screamed otherwise.
Then came June.
For the first time in months, I experienced complete relief. No symptoms. In July, it tried to come back, but only slightly. And since then—no more attacks. I am still on medication, but the healing is undeniable. To God alone be the glory!
This journey drained me—financially, physically, and emotionally. It felt like starting life all over again, like being dragged back to ground zero (even ground minus sef). But through it all, my family became my lifeline.
My siblings rallied around me. Mummy, you stood like a rock. Ngee would always remind me, “Bgee, nobody can take care of your children better than you. So ‘se ara giri’—be strong.”
Thank you, Lgee. Thank you, Ngee. Thank you, Mee.
Mummy, you tried gaan ni. You all are my heroes.
Few weeks to my birthday, a wave of quiet depression washed over me.
“I’m almost forty,” I thought, “and what do I have to show for it?”
Regret whispered in my ear: If only you hadn’t made certain mistakes, life would be better by now.
But God, in His gentle way, laid another song in my heart: I’ve Got A Reason by Dorinda Clark Cole. And it hit me—I’ve been ungrateful.
Because despite everything, I do have reasons.
I am alive.
I am preserved.
I am healed.
I am sustained.
I am surrounded by love.
So today, as I mark another birthday, I refuse to focus on what I’ve lost.
Instead, I choose gratitude.
DADDY, this is for YOU.
I am grateful for life.
I am grateful for help.
I am grateful for strength.
I am grateful for daily supply.
I am grateful for preservation.
I am grateful for protection.
I am grateful for mercy.
I am grateful for peace of mind.
I am grateful for healing.
I am grateful for family.
I am grateful for safety.
I am grateful for blessings.
I am grateful for friends.
This year didn’t start the way I hoped. In fact, on January 1st, I told a colleague I didn’t like the way it was beginning.
But here I am—standing, breathing, healing, and testifying.
Indeed, I’ve got a reason to praise God.
💛 My Birthday Prayer
Lord, as I step into this new chapter of my life,
I surrender every fear, regret, and unanswered question to You.
Thank You for keeping me, even when I didn’t understand the journey.
May this new year be filled with fresh strength, unshakable peace, divine opportunities, and overflowing joy.
May my life forever be a testimony that You are faithful.
✨ Happy Birthday to me. ✨
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