Freeway has been reflecting on undergoing a life-saving kidney transplant five years ago after an extended battle with kidney failure.
The former Roc-A-Fella rapper was diagnosed with kidney failure in 2015 and later had to undergo an organ transplant three years later. Now, five years on from getting a new kidney, the rap veteran is celebrating life.
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He wrote on Instagram alongside pictures of himself in hospital undergoing treatment: “Grateful to God as I celebrate my fifth kidney anniversary! On February 5, 2019, I received the incredible gift of life – a new kidney. Five years on, I’m still going strong. My battle with kidney failure and dialysis inspired me to launch Freedom Thinkers Academy.
“Today, the company is thriving, empowering and graduating students. Turning adversity into opportunity has been my greatest achievement. If you’re facing renal failure and dialysis, remember, there is hope. Keep your faith in God and stay focused.”
Freeway has also said that every Monday he will be sharing his experience of kidney failure and dialysis in an Instagram live stream in an attempt to raise awareness about the condition.
The rapper has been an advocate for awareness of kidney failure since his diagnosis almost a decade ago after being initially fearful of revealing his health problems.
“They was like, ‘Yo, you shouldn’t do this. You shouldn’t say this. We just have to deal with this amongst ourselves,’” Freeway remembered of his team’s advice at the time. “They said to keep it to myself so I wouldn’t look weak; hide it from people because I’m a celebrity. A lot of people felt like I shouldn’t be so open and letting people know what’s going on.”
“A majority of rappers are Black men, especially in the ‘90s and early 2000s, and Black men want it to seem like nothing can affect them, like they’re invincible,” Freeway continued. “Nobody wanted to show any weakness.”
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He added: “I felt it was more important for me to spread the knowledge than to portray being invincible. That’s why I wanted to get in front of it, because it affects African Americans. And I’m happy I did.”
Kidney failure has a higher rate of occurence among Black and South Asian people with causes including diabetes and high blood pressure.
