By Elbow Chuol,
August 30, 2016(Nyamilepedia) —– As I write this story, I am sitting next to Khor Deng Jang by his hospital bed waiting for the next six hours until the dialysis is over. Today is just Monday, one on Wednesday, he will come back again on Saturday. This is how this good-looking young man keep surviving for the last three years. I am afraid to say, it seems his family abandoned him because his condition is too expensive in such a way that no amount of money can be put together to treats him.Â
However, how he is paying his hospital bills remain a mysteries. A single day dialysis cost at least 75 dollars that means in a week more than 250 dollars is spend here. Bringing that budget to a year, it is close to 20,000 dollars. Back in the days he could make that money in five months or so. But on that fateful morning in 15 of December 2013, more than 50,000 dollars he put together for his hospital bills became a nightmare.
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I am here to write his story and to tell him BJ Kour, Toni Chuol and the girls in Australia with the Community are doing a great funds raising by next month of September 3rd 2016 for his condition. The campaign hope to raise over 60, 000 dollars for Kidney Transplant.
For those who are familiar with Khor Deng Jang, well known by his stage name; Khor DJ. He is kind and loving person who never looks down on people. I have known Khor now for quite a long time. One of the reason he keep living to this end can be attributed to his personal faith on God and good friends. Despite his condition he keep pushing to do music. He is naturally a happy young man who accept life with all its complexities.
Khor DJ upswing to entertainment fame in 2009 in Juba, South Sudan. His first single song Ya habibi won for him as the best artiste of the year and gained the heart of one of the most famous radio station in the country; Mirayaa FM. Ya habibi also enlisted as the best song of the year by Mirayaa FM expanded the most adored young musician and his musical career. His fame spread quickly like bush fire catching up with every radio stations. Khor DJ embarked on performance tour across South Sudan earning more money each month from well-wishers and fans.
From 2009 and 2010 he toured the country performing in several occasions from night clubs to CPA Anniversary events. Singing in wedding and political occasions. Making good money. Life was good and amazingly enjoyable. Lucky enough to enjoy fruits of the youngest nation.
A young man with much ambition for his future and heart to change the South Sudanese music industry, Khor established himself in 2011 investing his money and trying builds a good life but then in 2012 something terribly went wrong while in Kampala,Uganda for a tour. Khor fell inside his bedroom while dressing up for a show. And for very first time in his life he knew something was wrong. He was rushed to nearest clinic where he was diagnosed with Kidneys (two) Failure.
After few weeks in the hospital he went back to his normal life with an idea to raise money for Kidney transplant in two years (2014), a dream that was latter shattered by the crisis in the young nation, when the war broke out in the South Sudanese capital Juba on the night of December 15th 2013 with the government soldiers targeting ethnic Nuer.
On the next day December 16th 2013 the government soldiers went on a rampage door to door killing and on that fateful morning, Khor Deng was trapped in the bathroom while the bullets keep thriving in air.
Four soldiers shown up on his bathroom door with guns, banging the door loudly. Khor was inside now sweating and shaking quickly. His heart was throbbing by every second approaches with no option at hand he decided to use a hole up on the ceiling buy accutane leading him to fell into someone else bedroom through the roof of the house.
On December 17th of 2013, Khor DJ escaped to United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), Protection of civilians site (POCS) in Tongping where thousands and thousands of Nuer seeking safety after leaving their homes because of the ethnic cleansing widely carried out by the government soldiers.
Inside the camp his situation deteriorating due to lack of proper medical care and no dialysis facilities available all together inside UNMISS. Khor managed to get out of the country and arrived to Nairobi, Kenya in 2014 with nothing in his hands because his house was burnt to the ground, lost all his money, property and studio equipment he bought to build a modern studio.
While in Kenya the hospital bills for dialysis became unbearable with each day collapsing and doing nothing. Then he heard that dialysis in Ethiopia is cheaper than in Kenya. And for the grace of the lord some good Samaritans facilitated his travel to Ethiopia where he remained to the date.
Khor is literally stuck in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia because he cannot even go to Gambella leave alone South Sudan due to dialysis process three times a week. The only hope for him is, to undergoes kidneys transplant with price tag of $65,000 US and the only way to raise that amount is if there is peace in South Sudan.
His dream for better future collapsed due to his health deteriorating and his life is at stake. Once a glorious musician with good prospect of making it big in the music industry but now torn apart by the political crisis in South Sudan. The future seems dark but with every sun rays his hope and faith keep growing hoping to get a Good Samaritan to help one day.
Khor DJ Seeking Second Chance to Live
At some point, Khor DJ is repeatedly reported dead only to surprised people the next day laughing and chatting with friends. This is the story of Khor DJ. A charismatic musician who have done so much for his community but threatening to do less by his kidney failures condition. It is treatable, one Kidney and his life can change. The reason why he is alive today is may be because, he is waiting for you to hear his story, your coin so he can thank you one day and continue to inspired our children who’s their passion for music is threaten by the environment.
Despite being in his death bed Khor DJ search to bring positive change to the next generations of South Sudanese never stopped as he is currently on a project of animation (cartoon) characters in Nuer. A project he wants to complete as soon as possible even though he has no time and money to do it. He is doing a course in Animation where he is currently working to create a cartoon movie in Nuer.
Last month, Khor DJ dragged me to the studio where he is signed up by one of the famous Studio in Ethiopia, for his new album. He is currently working on a new Album, One Republic. Wow it is thrills, full of love and emotions. Khor was born indeed to sing. The DJ scrolled and pressed something I couldn’t identify. The music blew up and next the thing we heard, was an amazing voice of young man whose life is being spends through music and dialysis; three time a week.
Khor DJ is a South Sudanese renowned Afrobeats singer, dance hall rapper, doing Nuer traditional music, and also an exclusive RnBs singer. One of his latest song in Nuer, Yubro ka tiet cowdu mixture of Kenya Kapuka style music instruments is burning fast catching through Blue tooth in our phones. First and the Last song last yer did well gaining him fame in Ethiopia.
Khor has been waiting for you to read his story and to tell you about his health condition. Whatever you give you can give him a second chance in life.
Experience the joy of helping someone in need.
Elbow Chuol is a Correspodent for Nyamilepedia Press. He can be reached at elbow.chuol@gmail.com. To help khor DJ you can contact Elbow Chuol while we prepare other means to help him out.
