At last Tomi, the 27-year-old wife of afro pop/highlife singer, Shakomended, has a cause to laugh again after undergoing a successful kidney transplant a fortnight ago at the St. Nicholas Hospital, Lagos with her husband as the live-donor.
Lanre Fakeye and his wife
The surgery was carried out by a team of expert nephrologists led by Dr. Shonibare, Consultant Surgeon/ Nephrologist and Dr. E. L. Bamgboye, Consultant Transplant Nephrologist.
The mother of one was earlier in February, 2010 diagnosed with end-stage chronic kidney disease at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, LUTH and required an estimated N6m for an urgent kidney transplant.
Deflated and unsure of how to raise the money that would keep his wife of three years alive, Shakomended whose real name is Lanre Fakeye, a fast rising singer who also works as business development manager at Premier Records Limited organised a Keep Tomi-Alive Concert on Sunday, May 17, 2010 at De-Blue Roof of the Lagos Television, Agidingbi, Ikeja.
Despite the support of his friends in the music and entertainment industry such as MC Basketmouth, MC Abbey, Koffi, Ras Kimono, Aju, Anny, Maye Hunter, Kaha, Mallam Spicy, Zdon Poparella, The Pulse, Justina, Frank De Nero, Spy Da Man, Onos, Chuddy K and a host of others, the show was not really a commercial success. But showing an amazing uncanny courage, the young man‘s faith did not flag.
Shine briefly returned to the young couple‘s life when Comrade Ayodele Adewale, chairman, Amuwo-Odofin Local Government Area, Lagos State, and Solid Rock Investment Limited presented Tomi with a cheque of N1m respectively; with friends, family and kind hearted Nigerians also donating their widows mite. These monies were used for dialysis which lasted a period of seven months.
A real life line however, came for Tomi when his Excellency, Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN) the Executive Governor of Lagos State, through the Ministry of Health paid St. Nicholas hospital for the kidney transplantation surgery.
Speaking to a group of journalists who visited the couple after they were discharged from hospital, Tomi expressed sincere gratitude to everybody that showed concern to her and her family.
“I am indeed grateful to everybody that extended their love to me and my family. The experience has been a very challenging one over the last one year, but I thank God that I was able to come out alive a stronger and a better person” she said. Tomilayo is a Guidance and Counselling graduate of the University of Lagos and hails from Ikorodu, Lagos State.
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