Nigerian kidney and liver disease survivor, Abdulrasaq Owolabi Adebajo, has opened up about the harrowing challenges he faced during his medical journey to India, describing the experience as “another ball game entirely” after enduring months of pain and uncertainty at home.
Speaking further on Talk To B Podcast on Tuesday from 7:47, November 11, 2025, Adebajo said that while the liver transplant was initially estimated to cost between ₦100 million and ₦110 million, the situation worsened upon his arrival in India. “We were told the liver transplant was around 100 to 110 million then. But getting to India, it was another ball game entirely. It was another ball game entirely because when I got to India, the first day I got to India, I was admitted to the ICU straight up,” he recounted.
He described his condition as extremely critical due to the long travel hours. “My condition was so critical and considering the long journey, about 16 hours journey, it was not easy for me. So my legs were swollen. And I was so weak everything. So I was admitted into the ICU for like 7 days,” he said.
The cost of emergency treatment quickly drained a significant portion of their funds. “For that 7 days we spent like 20 million naira out of the money we took to India. We were like what is going to happen? Because considering the money we brought to India is not even enough for the transplant yet at the time you were going,” Adebajo narrated.
When asked how much he had been able to raise before leaving Nigeria, Adebajo said, “We were able to raise like is this 70 something million or close to 80? Within a week and it was not part of the plan for the transplant, it was not plan. It was not part and we still have to do evaluations, do all those stuff.”
He also shared the bureaucratic and emotional strain involved before traveling out of Nigeria. “Before we even left Nigeria, it took us a long time. It was the embassy issue. We have to be sure, they have to be sure we have enough money for the transplant, they have to be sure my donors are fit, they are my family member and all. So it was another signing of document going to court every day. It was despite my condition, I was still I need to be strong for myself,” he explained.
The survivor further revealed how his mother eventually became his donor, defying earlier medical advice in Nigeria. “So getting to India, it was another story because it was a close relative that wanted to be my kidney donor at that time. It was not my mom because we were told in Nigeria that my mom can’t be my kidney donor. But she was later cleared and she was the donor,” Adebajo said. View, More,
Explore More News By Using The Button.