Celebrated actor, Chinedu Ikedieze aka Aki, has revealed his struggles with growth retardation and moments of contemplating suicide in an interview with media personality, Chude Jideonwo.
Fondly calling his host ‘Chu,’ Chinedu, one-half of the dynamic duo known as Aki and Pawpaw, said he learnt about his health condition six months prior to turning ten.
He said,
“Something happened to me when I was nine years, six months. I remember the doctor saying, Madam what he has is stunted growth. I saw another word, growth retardation. I was looking for how to pronounce the words. That was when I started hearing these two words, stunted and retarded growth.”
He revealed in the interview that he wanted to take his own life when he found out he wasn’t growing up like other children, where he was being bullied by friends, school mates and even his own family
Chinedu said,
“While they were throwing all those tantrums, I cried several times. It got bad o! There were times I thought of ending it all.
“Thank God I no grow up for Lagos o! Third Mainland Bridge no far o”, he added on a lighter note as they laughed.
He expressed gratitude to his parents, particularly thanking his mom for anchoring him but noted they never had that parent-to-child kind of relationship.
The popular comic actor noted,
“So when I remember my mom’s input, how much she did to see us through, which would draw empathy. I’ll become emotional. I’ll want to call her and know how she’s doing. But you know that kind of relationship people have with their parents, I never had.”