Veteran Nollywood star Chinedu Ikedieze, known as Aki, has candidly discussed the hurdles he encountered during his upbringing due to being diagnosed with stunted growth.
The actor revealed he was deeply affected when he overheard a doctor inform his mother about his condition. He faced bullying from other children due to his abnormal growth, which pushed him to contemplate ending his own life.
During a recent conversation with well-known media personality Chude Jideonwo, Ikedieze shared his experience. He recalled, “Something happened when I was nine years and six months old. I remember the doctor saying to my mum; ‘Madam, what he has is stunted growth.'”
He continued, “That was when I started hearing the words, stunted and retarded growth. I cried several times because I was bullied in school and even at home because I wasn’t growing properly. It got bad, there were times I thought of ending it all. Thank God I no grow for Lagos because Third Mainland Bridge no far o [laughs].”
Ikedieze expressed gratitude to his mother for standing by his side during those challenging times. He also mentioned that there was an instant connection when he first met fellow actor Osita Iheme, also known as Pawpaw.