MUSIC producer and Mavins Records boss Michael Collins, popularly known as Don Jazzy, has potentially saved the football career of Anthonia Bola Fakiyesi.
The young women’s football player had detailed on X, formerly known as Twitter, her difficulty in raising money for surgery after she sustained a serious knee injury (torn anterior cruciate ligament) and sought to raise funds.
She was playing for Nigeria Women’s Football League club Naija Ratels in a friendly in Abuja almost a year ago when she sustained the injury but was not able to raise money for treatment and had to go public.
“On November 23rd 2022, during a friendly game with the FCT coaches in Area 3 pitch Abuja. I was a Naija Ratels player, 20 minutes into the game, I went in for a tackle and twisted my left knee. I was taken off the pitch on a stretcher and immediately my knee became swollen,” she began her long narration on X on Tuesday.
“I was told to rest it for a while, everyone thought it was a normal knee knock that needed rest.
“Few days later, I started feeling some bad pain in my knee. I did an X-ray and no issue was seen on the X-ray, the doc administered some drugs and I thought I’d be fine as long as I rest the leg.”
Instead of the rest to help, the situation got worse, with Naija Ratels even adding to her problems, according to Fakiyesi.
“I went home for Christmas and resumed back in January only to realise that the club had demoted me to the junior team in Makurdi and reduced my salary without providing me with any basic medical care regarding my knee injury. I sent a series of messages to the Chairman of the club @FcRatels and I didn’t get any response till now,” she continued.
“I left Markurdi in August 2023 and went for another X-ray in Nisa Premier Hospital, Abuja and the orthopedic doctor advised me to do an MRI scan.
“I did the scan in Abuad Hospital, Ado Ekiti. The result came out and it was discovered I had torn my ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) and I need surgery to fix it immediately so I can play football again.
“I’ve been in pain for the past one year; it got to a point that I started walking with crutches and I take pain-relieving meds everyday and I wear knee brace all the time. I can’t do any training or walk long distance because of the injury.
“I know injuries are inevitable in sport and I’m so sad and scared but ready to get this over with. I’ve really struggled with asking for help and putting this story out there but honestly I’m not financially and mentally capable of doing this alone without y’all help.
“The estimated cost for the treatment and surgery is about N5 million or N6 million. I’ll be very grateful for any help and donation in whatever limit.”
Fakiyesi included images of herself receiving treatment on the pitch and a copy of her medical report from Afe Babalola University Hospital, as well as her bank details for those willing to help her.
It apparently got the attention of Don Jazzy, who has often given out cash and bought expensive work tools for young Nigerians via his X account, and the music mogul came through for Fakiyesi yesterday.
He replied to Fakiyesi’s post and wrote simply “Done. Get well soon”, while attaching proof of payment of N6m into the United Bank for Africa account used for the fund-raising.
It is probably the biggest payout Don Jazzy has done on social media to a single person and Fakiyesi was obviously very grateful.
“@DONJAZZY Thank you! Thank you so much sir!! When you need one man, heaven will raise more than 100 men to help you. can’t thank you enough for real!!! Words fail me,” she wrote.
Fakiyesi also declared that her fund-raising effort was officially over after Don Jazzy’s generous donation.
She wrote: “Hello everyone. Words cannot express how grateful I am for the amazing strength, love, encouragements, donations and prayers I received from y’all.
“My surgery fee is complete and I’m officially closing the fundraising campaign!! May God bless y’all abundantly.”
Incidentally, Naija Ratels recently signed veteran Super Falcons defender Onome Ebi with some fanfare amid rumours that she would be paid over N1m monthly.
