Time does not heal all wounds, and for Esma Platnumz, the pain of losing her firstborn son, Osman, remains as fresh as the day he passed. The entrepreneur and sister to renowned Bongo artist Diamond Platnumz recently shared an emotional tribute to her late son, who would have turned 23 this year.
In a deeply personal Instagram Live session, Esma broke her silence on a tragic chapter of her life, one she has rarely spoken about. Through streams of tears, she recalled the heartbreak of watching her seven-year-old son succumb to sickle cell anemia, powerless to change his fate.
“Right now, I would have had a grown son… he would be 23 years old today,” she said. “I loved him, but God loved him more. He was my very first child. His name was Osman, and he was a wonderful boy who took after me in every way.”
Osman was diagnosed with sickle cell anemia at a young age, a condition that subjected him to constant hospital visits and daily medication. Despite medical intervention, his health deteriorated, and his organs began to fail. Esma recalled how his condition worsened, leading to his admission to Kairuki Hospital, where he ultimately passed away.
Doctors had warned Esma that the medication he was taking to manage his condition could have adverse effects on his liver and kidneys. Sadly, these warnings became a reality as Osman’s body shut down. In the final moments before his passing, he uttered chilling words that haunt his mother to this day.
“I saw him die. I remember his voice—he was complaining, saying, ‘There are people following me… they are coming…'” she recounted. “His last words were, ‘Tumeshafeli’ (We have failed). It was the most painful moment of my life.”
Even 16 years later, Esma finds it difficult to speak about the loss, as the wound remains raw. “It still hurts. He was my firstborn, and he passed away when he was only seven years old.”
Esma, who is now married to Tanzanian talent manager Jembe One, has three children, but the loss of Osman remains an irreplaceable void in her heart. Her story sheds light on the devastating impact of sickle cell anemia and the emotional toll it takes on families. As she continues to grieve, she hopes that sharing her journey will help others who have experienced similar losses find strength in knowing they are not alone.
