Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho transferred Ksh1 million to DJ O'neal's (Charles O'Neal Nyanjes) medical kitty to aid in his battle with cancer of the plasma.
On Saturday, July 25, the governor and Mombasa County Assembly Speaker Aharab Kahatri went a step further by gate-crashing a virtual fundraiser, where they contributed Ksh50,000 and Ksh25,000 respectively, to top up the earlier donation, People Daily reported.
"O’Neal has been our brother, is our brother, has been a friend and I feel encouraged that people are standing up with him. We are not just going to support him but we will also pray for him. I feel really encouraged by the strong will that our brother has and that is what you need to defeat any disease,” Joho stated.
The Mombasa Governor has been very open about his support and love for the arts and artists.
However, this was just a footnote in the remarkable story of the gifted DJ that has seen the entire Mombasa community come together in support of O'neal, after he was diagnosed with blood plasma cancer, also known as Multiple Myeloma.
Speaking to Kenyans.co.ke, DJ O'neal said that he would like his story to be used to spread hope to those who are sick and suffering from any kind of ailments not just cancer, adding that his faith in Christ is the driving force through it all.
A committee quickly emerged focused on ensuring that the DJ would not stand alone as he geared up for his battle through the gruelling chemotherapy sessions.
The special group dedicated to supporting the gifted entertainer also held a concert recently, using #OnealsFightIsMyFight to raise awareness not only of his condition, but the ongoing war against cancer.
Multiple Myeloma is blood cancer of cells found in the bone marrow, specifically the so-called “plasma" cells. Plasma cells are a key part of the body's immune system. In particular, they produce antibodies that help the body fight infection.
Myeloma begins when healthy plasma cells change and grow out of control. This may result in multiple bone lesions that increase the risk of bone fractures. That is where the phrase "multiple myeloma" comes from.
According to the Kenya Cancer Network, the prevalent disease is the 3rd highest cause of morbidity in Kenya (7% of deaths per year), after infectious diseases and cardiovascular diseases.
It is estimated that there are 39,000 new cases of cancer each year in Kenya with more than 27,000 deaths over the same period.
The most common types of cancer in the country are breast (34 per 100,000) and cervical (25 per 100,000) for women, with prostate (17 per 100,000) and esophegal (9 per 100,000) the most common in men.
