Ghanaian actor, John Peasah, popularly known as Drogba from the hit TV series YOLO, has shared a heartbreaking update about his struggles with a stiff person syndrome disease.
Drogba revealed the severity of his condition, which has left him in constant pain and struggling with mobility.
“The whole thing is, every day I’m in pain, I’m not mobile… I find it very difficult to bath, use the washroom and that kind of things,” he said, highlighting the challenges he faces even with everyday activities.
Drogba also shared instances where he’s been unable to move while in public, experiencing excruciating neck pain.
“As I am talking to you right now, it wants to come but it is stopping… The syndrome affects your brain, spinal cord, which radiates to your leg and affects your speech as well… And right now, it has affected everything.”
Drogba
Despite numerous hospital visits, the actor, also known as Drogba, revealed that he was unresponsive to treatment, leading to a prolonged diagnosis period.
“That is where they noticed that I’m suffering from Stiff Person Syndrome, and it took them four months to diagnose me,” he said.
Stiff Person Syndrome is a rare neurological disorder characterized by progressive muscular rigidity and stiffness, primarily affecting the truncal muscles.
Peasah lamented the ineffectiveness of medications, which only induced sleepiness, and his constant pain.
“My neurologist at the Bank Hospital was the one who diagnosed the whole thing for me. At the end of the day, Korle-Bu came up with the same thing,” Drogba added.
Peasah also revealed his struggles with sleep apnea, which was recently diagnosed.
“I realized that I was not having sleep apnea, but the sleep apnea was diagnosed recently, and I have to use the sleep pap machine because, according to them, anytime I sleep, I seize to breathe within thirty minutes, I can go off.”
Drogba
He described how his heart can be the only functioning organ until he wakes up, emphasizing the severity of his condition.
Mr Peasah noted that Stiff Person Syndrome is prone to individuals with a larger body size, making his case even more perplexing.
“My own, I don’t know where it is coming from, so that is how come it confuses the doctors; they don’t know what is going on, and we know that Stiff Person Syndrome is very hard to diagnose.”
Drogba
He expressed gratitude for the foreign doctor who helped diagnose his condition, saying, “The disease is very hard to diagnose, and I’m just grateful they found out what exactly is wrong with me.”
Actor Is Confident Dr. Bawumia Will Fulfil His Promise
Drogba expressed gratitude to Ghanaians and the Vice President for their love and support during his battle with the demyelinating disease.
The actor who has been diagnosed with a demyelinating disease has for the past few months been calling for support from Ghanaians to support him financially as he seeks medical attention abroad.
This caught the attention of the Vice President of Ghana Dr. Bawumia, who visited the ailing YOLO actor, to offer his support during this challenging time.
John Peasah, who is still seeking support from the general public mentioned that he still needs a huge sum of money to see him through treatment abroad.
The actor seized the opportunity to throw a gentle reminder to the public and individuals including the Vice President who made promises to him.
“The problem now is I am not seeing any improvement, so I am reaching out to him. I know he is busy with his campaign but I’m trying to let him know that this is his promise to me. I am very grateful to him for coming to show support and honoring me in my home.”
Drogba
The Ghanaian actor is urgently seeking $280,000 to fund his ongoing medical treatment for Stiff Person Spectrum Disorder and GAD Positive Cerebellar Ataxia.
Peasah shared that his current treatments have been ineffective, and his financial resources are nearly exhausted.
As John Peasah continues his battle for recovery, the call for support remains strong, and efforts are ongoing to raise the necessary funds for his specialized care.
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