‘I Got ₦13m Donations For My Miscommunicated Cancer Diagnosis’, Says Blessing CEO

Controversial relationship therapist and media personality, Okoro Blessing Nkiruka, popularly know as Blessing CEO, has said confusion surrounding her cancer diagnosis was due to a “miscommunication”,even as she revealed that she received ₦13 million in donations after publicly appealing for support.

Blessing CEO made the clarification during an interview with media personality ‘Egungun of Lagos’ in a clip that has gone viral on social media on Saturday, days after her initial announcement of having stage four breast cancer triggered widespread sympathy, skepticism and backlash online.

Addressing the controversy, she said the public may have misunderstood the information she passed on from doctors, stressing that she was not medically trained and was still trying to verify the diagnosis through further tests.

“Maybe it’s miscommunication because that was what I was told,” she said.

“I am also trying to do a biopsy. I want to have different options and be sure of what I’m doing.”

She also pushed back against viral claims that she received as much as ₦100 million in public donations after appealing for support.

“The contributions I got was not up to hundred million, it’s thirteen million,” she revealed.

Responding to criticism over her refusal to post medical evidence online, Blessing CEO insisted that her health records remained private and should not be subject to public scrutiny.

“I can’t post my results online because it’s a personal stuff,” she said.

She then offered a more detailed explanation of the sequence of events surrounding the breast lump that first prompted medical checks, saying she only recently received biopsy feedback and has not yet started chemotherapy.

“I’ve not started chemotherapy. I just saw the result, it’s called a biopsy, it was a lump,” she said. “Initially they said it wasn’t cancerous. After a few months, when they wanted to take out the lump, they said it was cancerous.”

Seeking to clear up public confusion, she stressed again that she merely relayed what she had been told by doctors and was not in a position to speak authoritatively about the exact medical classification of her condition.

“I think I should make this clear, I am not a doctor. I just passed the message that the doctor gave to me,” she said.

She added that she still did not know the precise stage of the illness and was waiting for a follow-up appointment with an oncologist before speaking more definitively.

“I don’t know the stage I am right now. I just did all the test. In a few days time, I will be able to go back to my oncology, then I’d know the exact stage,” she said.

Blessing CEO also responded to one of the more persistent rumours circulating online — that the money she raised was allegedly intended for her partner or husband’s business rather than treatment.

“For what na?” she asked. “How much does Nigeria have to raise money?”

Despite the backlash, she suggested she was still open to receiving support from those willing to assist her.

“I still need people’s donations, but if you want to,” she said.

Blessing CEO had come under intense scrutiny after publicly speaking about battling breast cancer and soliciting financial support, with many social media users later demanding proof of her diagnosis and questioning the fundraising drive.

The controversy deepened after critics, including online commentator VeryDarkMan, called for transparency over her medical claims and the money raised.