Yoruba movie actress Bukky Raji has revealed how she lost two sisters to terminal illnesses and how their demise significantly impacted her life and acting career.
In a recent interview with her colleague Biola Adebayo, the actress said she grew up in a polygamous family with four siblings from her mother.
The film star, who lost her father at age seven, disclosed that her close-knit relationship with her mother played a significant role in her life.
She said that when her mother suffered a stroke, she put her acting career on hold to care for her.
Bukky revealed that one of her sisters passed away due to kidney disease, while the other had a hidden condition, later suspected to be HIV or diabetes.
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She disclosed that her family did not have the understanding or resources to diagnose the condition accurately, and it was only after her sister’s passing that they ran tests to determine the cause of her illness.
The actress said she delayed her marriage until she was over 30 because she wanted to be close to her mother, who eventually passed away.
“When I was single if my mummy says ‘Biodun where are you? I want to see you. It has been a while since I saw you’. I would immediately visit her. Later, when she got sick and had a stroke, I did not leave her.
When I wanted to get married, I told my husband I did not want to stay far from my mother. That thing just worked that we were lived close to her. She died a few years ago. I miss her so much. I miss all my dead people.
I lost two sisters from the same mum. From the five us. One died of kidney issues. The other, too, was very sick. We later realised, because we did not have the understanding then, that she had diabetes or HIV. I could not confirm it then. Later, we had to run a test on her. The other members of the family that are remaining had nothing to the glory of God. The one that had kidney issues died first.
My two sisters died before my mum. It was very hard. It was one of the things that made me stay away from acting.”
Bukky Raji began her acting journey in 1999, featuring in Yoruba films.
