“I cried several times” – Chinedu Ikedieze ‘Aki’ opens up about childhood pain

Veteran Nollywood actor Chinedu Ikedieze, widely known as Aki, opened up about the challenges he faced while growing up due to being diagnosed with stunted growth. He shared his struggles during a recent interview with media personality Chude Jideonwo.

Aki revealed that at the age of nine and a half, he was diagnosed with stunted growth by a doctor. This condition led to bullying from other children who taunted him for not growing normally. He even mentioned that the bullying became so severe that he contemplated ending his life. However, he expressed gratitude for not growing up in Lagos because the thought of Third Mainland Bridge (known for suicides) wasn’t far away.

He went on to praise his mother for her unwavering support during those difficult times.

In his words:

“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.’ 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].”

Aki also shared the special connection he felt when he first met Osita Iheme, also known as Pawpaw. Their collaboration in acting led to immense success and popularity.

His interview resonated with many people, and his resilience in overcoming challenges and pursuing his acting career was widely applauded by netizens.