Popular music video director TG Omori has detailed his traumatic road to recovery after undergoing a kidney transplant, revealing that his brother donated a kidney but the organ was rejected after a seven-hour surgery. Speaking on the Afropolitan podcast, Omori recounted the series of health crises that began with a diagnosis in Nigeria, worsened in New York in 2023, and led to a nine-month search for a compatible donor.
Diagnosis and Worsening Condition
Omori explained that his health struggles started after he received a diagnosis in Nigeria and began treatment. Initially, the condition seemed manageable with medication, but it deteriorated significantly in 2023 while he was in New York. He was taken to a hospital there for further tests and later consulted doctors who advised him to return to Nigeria for proper management.
“I received the diagnosis in Nigeria. It started simply, and they gave me medication to make it better. I was like that for a year, then later in 2023, I got sick. At the time, I was in New York, and I was taken to the hospital. I later spoke to some doctors who advised me to come to Nigeria and figure things out,” Omori recounted on the podcast.
Upon his return, he was referred to a nephrologist who recommended a kidney transplant as his kidney function continued to decline despite ongoing treatment. The search for a compatible donor proved to be a significant hurdle, lasting approximately nine months.
Brother's Donation and Failed Transplant
According to Omori, his brother eventually stepped forward to donate a kidney. However, the transplant was unsuccessful because his body rejected the organ after a lengthy surgical procedure lasting about seven hours. This rejection forced him back onto dialysis and required him to undergo the entire process of finding another donor.
“It took about nine months to get a donor. When it was becoming a struggle, my brother decided to donate. Then we went in and came out, and my body was not accepting it after like 7 hours of surgery. That was when I resigned myself to fate and made a post about it on social media,” he said.
Omori added: “It was removed successfully, but I had to go back on dialysis and wait for it to heal before they do another transplant. I had to go through the process again and look for another donor. My brother only has one kidney now, even though he can live with one. That’s another angle that is traumatising.”
Emotional Toll and Creative Struggles
Beyond the physical pain, Omori spoke about the emotional distress of being unable to work while rumours circulated about his career. He revealed that while he was hospitalised, people were already texting that he had “fallen off” and that no one works with him anymore.
“I was in the hospital, and people were already texting that I fell off; nobody works with me anymore. That’s how cruel the game is. Nobody knew about anything apart from a few friends. I wasn’t sure I was going to survive. In fact, I had said my last prayer,” he said.
Omori also expressed the frustration of having creative ideas but being physically unable to execute them during recovery. He compared himself to an injured player on the bench, unable to participate in the game he loves.
“I still stayed creative, but it was stuck in my head, and I couldn’t act on it. I kept analysing videos coming out. I was just like that injured player on the bench who could not do anything, and I also felt God wanted to allow me down,” he explained.
Reflections on Fame and Industry Misconceptions
Reflecting on his career before the health crisis, Omori admitted that fame had begun to affect him. “The fame was getting too much it was almost getting into my head,” he said.
He also addressed a common misconception about the earnings of music video directors, clarifying that they do not necessarily earn as much as the artistes they work with. Omori explained that the budget allocated to a director is not personal income, as directors often reinvest funds to realise their creative vision.
“People think we are as rich as the artistes, and sometimes people don’t even understand that the budget that comes to the director is not what the director keeps for himself. Sometimes, the director goes home with nothing because he’s trying to make sure that his vision and dreams come to life,” he said.
Omori further noted that Nigerian directors often take on multiple responsibilities because production crews are smaller than those in Hollywood, adding to the financial and creative pressures of the job.
