Renowned Nigerian disc jockey, Oluwaforijimi Amu, popularly known as DJ Jimmy Jatt, has opened up about his battle with chronic kidney disease, a life-altering kidney transplant, and the challenges that kept him away from the public eye.
Speaking on Rubbin’ Minds with Ebuka on Channels TV, the veteran DJ revealed that his health struggles began in 2020 after he suddenly lost his sight, leading to surgery to restore it.
“Maybe I caused it for myself because, in 2019, I said that I wanted to spend more time out of the country. I’ve lived all my life in Nigeria, especially Lagos. So, I wanted to explore the world—Europe, America, everywhere,” he shared.
However, his plans took an unexpected turn in 2020 due to health complications and the global travel restrictions that came with the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I lost my sight. I had surgery and regained my sight. After that, I felt I needed to take a break and comply with my plan of living elsewhere for a while. Then I relocated to the U.S. While I was in the U.S, I was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease. I was on dialysis there for a while. Eventually, I came back to Nigeria and had a kidney transplant,”he recounted.
Following a successful kidney transplant in 2022, DJ Jimmy Jatt made a conscious decision to step away from the limelight to focus on recovery.
“After the transplant, I decided to be quiet for a while to recover properly. So, immediately I was discharged, I left Nigeria again. While I was away, I was still DJing in America and Europe, but I decided that it was time to return to Nigeria. So, I came back in December,” he added.
The veteran DJ also took the opportunity to dispel misconceptions surrounding kidney disease, emphasizing that it is not always linked to lifestyle choices.
“Lifestyle is not always the cause of kidney ailments. I’ve never smoked, and I stopped drinking alcohol a long time ago. In my case, it was caused by diabetes,” the celebrity DJ revealed.
