Friends Deserted Me When I Was Sick— Leo Mezie

As much as so many people rallied around him to support him during the time he was ill, actor Leo Mezie disclosed that so many people who he had expected to show support deserted him when he needed them.

He said, “Normally, I expected my colleagues and friends to rally round me but they were the least people that showed up when I needed them. I can count my five friends that rallied round me not to talk of my colleagues. That experience taught me a lot about humanity. Based on the kind of love people showed me when I was down, I never imagined that such love existed in humanity. I was shown love from people that I least expected such gestures from. I never knew that this profession could allow people love me this way.

You should see the kind of messages I got on my Facebook and the kind of money that I got. I was not getting peanuts but huge amounts of money and each time I received such monies, I asked my account officer to trace the sender so I could call and thank them but they always chose to remain anonymous. 

There are a lot of people that are going through what I experienced but they are not that lucky. Many of them would die due to the ailment and because of that, I decided to set up the Leo Mezie Kidney Foundation as a way of saying thank you and also helping people. Already we have begun work and are treating two people.”

And despite the health challenge he had, Leo said he is not ready to quit acting. In fact, the actor said by next month, he would wrap up a movie project that was halted midway because of his ill health.



“I have not stopped acting but I have not resumed work yet because my doctors gave me strict orders not to start till I have gone for my second check-up which is in April. However, there was a movie project that was halted midway because of my illness. I would just wrap that up quickly in March,” he said.

He marked his birthday few days ago, the actor said he is grateful to God as he never expected he would be alive.

“It was a birthday filled with tears – they were tears of joy because I never believed I would see another year let alone my birthday. I cannot even explain how I felt. The day before my birthday was suspense filled for me because I felt I was not supposed to be alive; instead I was about to witness another birthday. I was scared that I would probably sleep and not wake up on my birthday. I went to church for thanksgiving because God did not only save my life, he made me witness a new year and my birthday.

“It did not only occur to me that the illness could have killed me, I concluded that I could not make it. I concluded that I was going to die and there was no way I was going to make it. On my bed, I thought about the experiences of about five other people who had gone through the same ailment and they did not make it alive. I knew of prominent people who had the money to treat the ailment but they died due to various complications. But I was there on my bed and I could not afford one month dialysis not to talk of handling the whole challenge. A lot of things made me believe and gave me the conviction that I was not going to make it. I did not find it difficult to convince myself that it was over because those who had the money to treat the ailment could not make it, so why should I? That is why I said that the testimony is beyond my comprehension,” he said.

Source: PUNCH