UG Christian News in 2017 reported that various Christian artists had united in a campaign seeking to raise funds for fellow musician, Ezra Baagala who was diagnosed with kidney failure – both right and left organs were at the verge of shut down, and doctors had referred him to South Africa.
A miraculous move of God brought this campaign to a stand still when the singer months later went for a medical check up only to return with a report confirming two healthy kidneys, without a trace of infection.
Baagala’s family revealed through a press statement that he needed over Ush10 million ($2630.75) for treatment in South Africa.
“By the time my friends brought my condition to the general public, it had already worsened,” Ezra Bagala said as he recounted his path to healing during an exclusive interview with UG Christian News.
“At first I would take pain killers to find relief, and go about my usual business. Everybody would think am healthy. The pain killers would work for about six (6) hours after which the pain returned. I had such excruciating pain. Later, I lost appetite. Doctors put me off certain meals especially those with sugars, salt and fats,” he said.
Ezra’s sickness started December 2016, however did not receive treatment till January 2017 when he went for a medical checkup at Mengo Hospital in Kampala.
“I woke up one morning, went to use the bathroom and realise that what should have been urine was blood. I was in shock. Aside that abnormality, I experienced a lot of pain urinating,” he said.
“When I went for a medical check up in January, doctors told me both kidneys were sick. I was put on medication, but the sickness grew worse. After about two (2) months, I could hardly afford the bills at the privately owned institution, hence moved to Mulago referral hospital.”
At Mulago, Ezra was transferred to Kiruddu General Hospital which was close his home.
“The health camps here were organised every Tuesday. I used to spend nothing less than Ush100,000 ($26.31) every week on tests and treatment. Even with the medication, my condition still grew worse. My body parts – legs, face among others – begun to swell. My eyes turned yellow. I totally run out of strength and soon realised that I could not step out of the house. The pain had intensified. I couldn’t work any more yet I had a lot of daily demands including rent, food and medicine,” he told UG Christian News.
Ezra was hesitant disclosing his health condition to the general public for fear of what people would think.
“I was shamed as a person serving God. I feared being mocked; a great worshiper with a good voice, how come you are now battling such sicknesses yet you profess that God is a healer. Can’t He heal you?; these are some of the thoughts that run in my head,” he said.
To the kidney failure report, Ezra was soon found to have abnormally high sugar levels, “doctors said this was probably the cause for the kidney failure,” he said.
This pressing health condition moved Ezra to compose a song titled “O’mwoyo Wokulya”. Around July 2017 the song had became a popular hit on local radio station in the country.
This helped the singer gather some funds for treatment, as friends came through to support him pay house rent among other expenses. This celebration was however short-lived as Ezra’s next meeting with his doctor revealed how alarming his health had deteriorated.
“Your body seems resistant to all drugs,” Ezra’s doctor explained. “The medication in the country will not bail you out. I want to refer you to a hospital in South Africa for better treatment – to also avoid dialysis. By the time a patient is put on dialysis, it means you are out of options.”
Ezra was told going on dialysis would mean looking for a kidney donor for a transplant. Medics computed how much it would amount to but knew his family could not afford the expenses. He would require three (3) days of dialysis each week, charged at Ush350,000 ($92.08) a day.
“I could not afford dialysis and didn’t want to have it. As an orphan, I knew how hard it could be raising such money. Doctors told me I was close to waking up to a day when both kidneys are down. It is through this that my friend recommended I publicly come out for a fund raising for my medical travel to South Africa, which I did,” said.
Ezra sold off much of what he owned for treatment, allocated other property to his relatives in a will, and left his home in Nansana, a Kampala suburb for a friend’s apartment. “I could not afford my own rent.I was even laid off work over how dreadful my health had become,” he said.
Ezra lost all hope in ever recovering his kidneys. It is here that he heard God’s voice during one lunch hour prayer meeting at a local Church where he had been invited to minister. “He told me to go three days into prayer and fasting at a prayer mountain,” Ezra told UG Christian News.
The singer acted in accordance to the instruction of the voice he heard, however to his amazement, three (3) days of prayer and fasting didn’t immediately bring about his healing.
“One the fourth day after the fasting, I became paralysed. I could not walk anymore. I honestly lost all faith in God and looked at South Africa’s treatment as my only hope,” he said, adding that the campaign with gospel artists drew about Ush4 million.
Through his sister in South Africa, doctors in this country asked Ezra to go for a fresh medical check up to ascertain how grave his condition had become, before he could make plans to leave the country.
“I returned to the Mengo hospital laboratory and when I left the examination room. The doctor returned later with the results which revealed that I had nothing wrong with my kidneys. I was amazed,” He said.
Ezra went to several other hospitals in the country, and results still showed both kidneys were totally healthy. This year on January, 7th 2018 Ezra went for a medical checkup again at Medical Laboratory and Consultancies LTD in Kampala and tests showed a negative result.
“God healed me and I am totally well. If this experience has taught me anything, it is to put my trust in God. When dreams are shattered, when faith is shaken, when there’s no easy way out, God is doing his most important work,” Ezra said. “When I remember those days of pain when I wasn’t sure of walking again, I just I just lift my hands and thank Jesus for loving me.”
The singer has vowed to continue sharing his testimony most especially with patients going through what he experienced, and was this year accorded an award during the VIGA Awards for his song ‘O’mwoyo gwokulya.’
aaron@ugchristiannews.com
