Priest captures battle with heart disease in books

An Anglican priest and Archdeacon of St Paul’s Anglican Church Oke Afa, Isolo, Venerable Chiedu Anyadi Ekpunobi, and his wife, Kate Oge Ekpunobi, have captured the latter’s battles with chronic heart disease and how God delivered him from two intricate and complicated heart surgeries within a period of one year, with very slim chances of survival.

The books entitled “My Testimony; Your Testimony” and “I Can Preach In Public.”

The former gives true life testimony of near death situations; a series of surgical experiences that have slim survival rate, which forced the survivor to pen all these down.

The 114-page book with six chapters was co-authored by Kate Oge-Chiedu and Chiedu Anyadi Ekpunobi and published in Lagos by Tayo Falas Nigeria Enterprises.

The second book with 128 pages and seven chapters, and with the same authors, was published by Neighborhood Writers & Publications Satellite Town Lagos.

The priest narrated: “…Notwithstanding, within the last two years I found I could hardly climb stairways. A quick fainting spell would envelope me at the middle of stairway. It was too bad to the extent that I would climb the pulpit with 40 minutes sermon, but would scamper down in 20 minutes looking for where to sit and struggle to breathe, while pretending as if all is well to cover up before unsuspecting congregation.

“…On the eight of September, 2014, I had surgery on the following; VSD closure, replacement of aortic valves and replacement of mitral valves. And the 22nd of September, I had another surgery for the implantation of a device called pacemaker. The success rate of this surgery they said is fifty over fifty, meaning survival from the theatre and two weeks after, 50 per cent over 50 per cent. At the end of it all, I survived it and we later made it back home.

“The next five months in Nigeria after the surgery was nothing to write home about. I spent every one week of the month on bed rest at home, one week to try to catch up on my chores and the rest two weeks on hospital bed with intravenous pipes and oxygen masks. It was not easy at all, but the Lord who does not leave His own in lurch sustained me.

“As the would have it, on the 4th of March, 2015, I was checked into the same Medanta Hospital India, for treatment of infection on the past surgical site. Besides, on the 18th of March, I underwent another surgery to replace the fallen out mitral valves. In order to forestall a repeat of what happened after the first surgery, I had to stay more in India. The success rate of this re-do surgery which means to cut from the same place within two years of previous cut is ten per cent over ninety per cent (10/90). The stories that followed most people that underwent this re-do were not pleasant as the survival rate is slim. Be that as it may, I survived it by the prayers, support and encouragement of the children of God.

“To the glory of the Lord, we came back to Nigeria on May 14, 2015 without breathing difficulties and no emergency since then unlike before. I was able to take part in Lagos West Diocesan Synod. And since then I have been carrying out my duties diligently in the house of God…”

Bishop, Diocese of Lagos West, Rt. Revd. James Olusola Odedeji, in the Foreword to the first book, “My Testimony; Your Testimony,” noted: “… Without fear of contradiction, this book will go a long way in keeping hope alive, and to know as long as we live and wait on God, our testimonies are on the way.”

Meanwhile, Chiedu in addition to the requisite theological training at Immanuel College of Theology, Ibadan, holds a B.Sc degree in Sociology from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, an M.Dv from the Crowder Graduate Seminary Abeokuta and has also completed the course work for a D.Min in the same Graduate Seminary.