Here is the story of Hakeem Opakunle, who survived a chain of accidents and diseases, including kidney-related ones, as he tells it now that he is surprisingly 60.
ALHAMDULILLAH, ALHAMDULILLAH, ALHAMDULILLAH, OLUWA SEUN, CHINEKE DAALU, THANK YOU GOD ALMIGHTY. That’s the very first thing to say as it pleased God that I clock 60 yrs on mother earth today, given the perilous Year 2020 laden with globally ravaging Covid-19, which has claimed so many lives.
Let me apologise to my nuclear & extended family for coming this public with this write-up. E ma binu o.
But, truth is, after a lot of reflection, retrospection & introspection, I made up my mind to do this, for reasons of:
– publicly thank Almighty Creator for His special grace on my life.
– show that we are all living miracles of God wherever we are, if we reflect deep enough.
– possibly inspire or motivate someone out there that God is so close to us, no matter the tribulations we face.
I am a living miracle from birth to date and thus as a Muslim, it’s clear that our Creator is never selective in His graciousness, benevolence & mercifulness, once we hold and serve Him with sincere heart, even with our iniquities.
Told my dear mum had to wait for about 4 yrs through family ridicules, before I arrived as first born, I was named (Oya(Abayomi(Oluwa o je), Abiodun, Akeem, Adesina – Miracle 1.
At 10, I joined friends to ride a bike to go pluck fruits, had a freak accident with a deep gush in the forehead and mischievously hid it from parents. It degenerated and I had to have surgery that early in life. Those who can relate out there, would relate.
At 15, while at St. Gregory’s College Obalende, Ikoyi, Lagos, being a member of a gang of truants, while scaling the school fence on an escapade, slipped and I only opened eyes at General Hospital Lagos! He made me survive. Truth is, among that gang of yore, am the only one alive! His grace.
In 1980, a small group of 5 friends always together at the then Lagos State College of Science & Technology went on a trip to Abeokuta for scholarship Bursary processing, I strangely wasn’t on the trip and thus escaped an automobile accident which claimed 2 lives (Shade Esan & Gbemi Nosiru) and the other 2 Abimbola Sowemimo & Segun Ajayi in serious complications – Segun Ajayi has since passed on. I survived – only by His grace.
At 31 after just 1yr of securing a bank job, I collapsed and was eventually diagnosed of RENAL FAILURE (Kidney failure) after several treatments for jaundice + blood transfusions, and informed dialysis had to start that day, as I had 72hrs more medically, given my very bad state). Dialysis for severally for months as in patient and then as outpatient and the risk of job loss (as I was initially on half salary & later nil salary), the Almighty Creator proved Himself yet again. I got better, was on only check ups & medications & special diet of food/medication.
30yrs after, no single dialysis! It can only be God’s special grace on ordinary mortal – me
1yr later an life threatening automobile accident ending underneath a trailer and passing out! Tongue & head deeply lacerated & sutured, I again survived. Alhamdulillah. Oluwa seun. Thank God.
Between then and now, so many other complications – Appendicitis, double hernia etc yet I overcome. It can ONLY be GOD ALMIGHTY.
To shame the devil, for the past week, I’d been very ill and I was a bit scared, but as usual He showed up for me since yesterday and am alive, healthy and strong to celebrate my 60th birthday.
In between this 6 decades, He has found me worthy to use, to touch many, in whatever token way, especially the indigent old Soccer/Sports/Entertainment heroes past – Haruna Ilerika, Austin Ofuokwu, Sani Mohammed, Alh. Sikiru Anjorin a.k.a Baba Joo, Rashidi Yekini, Jossy Dombraye, Phillip Boamah, Henry Nwosu MON, Yisa Sofoluwe, Raymond King, Taju Disu, Alabi Adelanwa, Alani Olakunle, BigSeg’s then TIA now SOCA, Fatai Rolling Dollar, Kokoro (Pa Benjamin Aderounmu), Jojo Bodybeats (Joseph Ololade Ibitoye) and many more not so easy to recall…
So, all I ask of you friends, is that you continue to thank the ever faithful, ever merciful, ever compassionate, ever benevolent Almighty Creator for me every time.
Alhamdulillah, thank you God Almighty, for making me witness my diamond birthday, despite the globally ravaging Covid-19.
