Bracket’s Vast Recounts Harrowing Battle With Cancer, Says Treatment Nearly Took His Life

 

Nigerian singer Nwachukwu Ozioko, popularly known as Vast of the music duo Bracket, has opened up about his near-death experience while battling lymphoma, a type of blood cancer, in 2013.

Speaking on the AFRIMMA Podcast, Vast described the period as one of the darkest yet most unforgettable moments of his life. He credited the support of his team for keeping him alive, saying they rallied around him and pooled resources to ensure he got treatment.

“It was a time in my life I will never forget. Normally, after making money, everyone gets their share. But during this period, everyone on the team brought their money together to treat me. The people around me showed me love,” he said.

 

“The Treatment Was Deadlier Than the Cancer”

Vast explained that while cancer itself was devastating, the treatment process was even more brutal. According to him, he almost lost his life during therapy sessions.

“Cancer is not the problem, it’s the treatment. The process is deadly. They started with my spine, and I don’t even know what they did to it. I was also asked to sign a form that if anything happened to me, I couldn’t hold them responsible.

 

I nearly passed from the treatment. At some point, I lost so much blood that it affected my heart and I had to be admitted for blood transfusion. I was very skinny my ribs were showing and it cost us so much money,” he recounted.

Misdiagnosis and Delayed Discovery

The singer revealed that the illness went undiagnosed for months, despite numerous hospital visits and tests. It took the intervention of a nurse who suggested an ultrasound before doctors discovered a growth in his body. Further tests conducted in the UK confirmed it was cancerous.

Similarly, his bandmate Smash (Obumneme Ali) shared how shocking the diagnosis was, given Vast’s healthy lifestyle. He expressed frustration over the delays and poor handling of the case in Nigeria.

“He went to one of the biggest hospitals in Victoria Island. They ran blood tests but still didn’t know what was wrong. They claimed they sent his blood samples to South Africa in September, but by December, no result had come. I confronted the doctor, telling him if anything happened to Vast, he would be held responsible. That was when he advised us to take him abroad,” Smash said.

 

He added that the group had to cancel a show in Burkina Faso, transferring the performance money to fellow artiste Flavour, because of Vast’s deteriorating condition.

Now Cancer-Free

Thankfully, Vast revealed that he eventually pulled through after months of intensive treatment abroad and has since been declared cancer-free.

“It was a tough journey, but I thank God for life. I survived it, and I’m grateful,” he said.