Veteran musician Mr Lenny opens up on tragic loss of sister to brain Aneurysm
Renowned musician Lenson Njuki, popularly known as Mr Lenny, has shared the heartbreaking story of losing his elder sister Essie to a sudden and devastating brain aneurysm.
Brain Aneurysm is a ballooning arising from a weakened area in the wall of a blood vessel in the brain. If the brain aneurysm expands and the blood vessel wall becomes too thin, the aneurysm will rupture and bleed into the space around the brain.
In an emotional interview on the Iko Nini podcast, he recounted the painful journey that led to her untimely demise.
According to Mr Lenny, the tragedy unfolded when his sister collapsed in town while meeting friends.
Initially dismissed as a joke due to her playful nature, the severity of the situation became apparent when she was rushed to a hospital in the Central Business District (CBD).
Later, she was transferred to another facility.
The signs of her condition had been present but were not initially recognized as serious. Mr Lenny revealed:
“She died in January, and in December she had organized a family get-together. We went to Coast, but throughout she was complaining about having headaches. She would take painkillers, but nothing helped.”
Upon seeking medical attention, it was revealed that she had a brain aneurysm.
The family faced a difficult decision as the doctor presented a 50/50 survival chance through an operation. Despite the risks, they opted for the procedure.
“When it was time for her to go to the theatre, she started crying and bid us her goodbyes because she never made it through. At the time, she had parted ways with her baby daddies and was living with our mum. She requested us not to fight her baby daddy (we were not on good terms), and she also asked us to take care of her kids.”
Despite a seemingly successful operation, Mr Lenny’s sister never emerged from a coma.
The family faced the painful decision to remove her from life support after learning that her brain had suffered irreversible damage.
The financial burden added to their anguish, as daily ICU expenses amounted to approximately 200,000 Kenyan Shillings.
Tragically, even after a second operation, Mr Lenny’s sister did not recover.
The family, devastated by the loss, eventually made the heart-wrenching choice to turn off life support.
“At some point, the doctors told us her brain had died, he asked whether to switch off the machines or let her continue being on life support. Eventually, we sat down as a family and agreed she be removed from life support. It was a very sad moment for us.”
In a show of unity and support, Kenyans both within and outside the country rallied to help the grieving family, contributing to clearing a substantial medical bill of Sh3 million.
Mr Lenny expressed gratitude for the outpouring of support during this challenging time.
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