The actor Chinedu Ikedieze, better known by his stage as Aki, has talked candidly about his battles with stunted growth and how they impacted his mental health.
He disclosed that he was severely ridiculed by his peers after being diagnosed with “stunted growth or growth retardant” by doctors when he was nine years old.
In an interview with Chude Jideonwo, Ikedieze revealed that his mother’s words of support enabled him to concentrate on his studies as a way to get past his obstacles.
However, the constant taunting and name-calling took a toll on his mental health, and he even had suicidal thoughts.
Despite facing adversity, he chose to focus on his education and eventually built a successful career in Nollywood.
He said:
“I remember my mom taking me to the hospital when I was around nine years old. I think I was sick. The doctor told her, ‘Madam, stop worrying yourself. He has no problem. Just make sure he reads his books, goes to school, and is there for him.
“That hit me hard. I was born and brought up in the village, so hearing that kind of English from a doctor — it stuck with me. I remember the doctor saying, ‘Madam, what he has is stunted growth.’ Then he wrote something on a report, and I saw another word: growth retardation.
”I didn’t even know how to pronounce it. That was when I started hearing those words over and over again. My mom always told me, ‘You are small; you cannot start carrying cement or doing furniture work. The best thing for you is to go and study.’
“So I knew that the only weapon I had to conquer the world was education. But it was painful. People taunted me. I cried several times. They called me names. It got so bad that, at times, I thought of ending it all.”