Please sing with us: ‘What shall we say unto the Lord? All we have to say is thank you, Lord 2X. Thank you, Lord, thank you, Lord, all we have to say is thank you, Lord.’

We believe in miracles. They are still happening today. Our God is Jehopha-Rapha, God that healed David Oluwapamilerin Okegbile, our second son, and will indeed heal you. At age four, while serving as the Presiding Chaplain at Chapel of Christ the Light, Interdenominational, Alausa, Lagos State, Nigeria, David was diagnosed with a brain tumour after a fall while playing football after returning from school.

While on admission at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi-Araba, Lagos, Nigeria, where they did an MRI scan. That is when David was diagnosed with a brain tumour. We were so shocked. The surgeon came and spoke to my wife and me and said they would operate on David in two phases. He explained that the surgery would be very high risk because of where the tumour was located. It was near the cerebellum on the left side of my brain, at the back of my head. We asked the surgeon to give us time to pray before we decided. The news about David’s health got to the then Lagos State Governor, His Excellency Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who immediately delegated his physician, Dr. Alesinloye, to follow David and give him daily development. His Excellency told Dr. Alesinloye, “Please, Alesinloye, my Reverend’s son must not die. Do everything possible, please.”

While in LUTH, David went blind and was unable to walk. But he always asked his mother or me to open his picture Bible to a particular page where David in the Bible killed Goliath (1Sam 17). Under the terrible pain and groaning, David always confesses, “Dad, Mum, I will kill my Goliath.” David manifested strong faith and the will to live and not die. His faith rekindled ours. While on admission at LUTH, members of the Methodist Praying Partners, Methodist Evangelical Movement, and the Prayer Group of the House on the Rock under the leadership of my friend, Pastor Paul Adefarasin, were on the daily day and night prayer walk physically around LUTH.

At a critical point, David has flown abroad through the approval of His Excellency Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his wife, Her Excellency Senator Oluremi Tinubu. Dr. William Aina, a former Conference Medical Adviser at Methodist Church Nigeria, got contact and booking with Great Ormond Children Hospital, London. Surgery was performed, and a diagnosis of Medulloblastoma was established. Before the surgery, David was blind, unable to communicate verbally, and had lost many of his motor skills functions, and was ataxic.

The surgery that was scheduled for four hours took over six hours, but in the end, the surgeons said, “David came around unusually.” David later underwent multi-agent intravenous cytotoxic chemotherapy and craniospinal radiotherapy in Dublin, Republic of Ireland. I thank God for my wife, Abimbola Okegbile. She is a virtuous woman; her price is indeed far above rubies. She girded her loins with strength and strengthened her arms. She became David’s immediate nurse, father, mother, doctor, and carer throughout the process. She left her position as Geologist at the Lagos State Water Corporation to give support and care to David. 

While going in and out of the hospital for different follow-up and treatment, David attended Kennedy Park National School, Wexford, Ireland, 2003-2010; CBS Secondary School, Thomas Street, Wexford, 2010-2015; Barking and Dagenham College, Dagenham, London- 2015-2017. He passed his Pearson BTEC Level 2: Diploma in Art and Design (QCF) with grade Distinction* 2016; Edexcel GCSE: (QCF) Subject- Mathematics with grade C – 2017; Pearson BTEC Level 3, Subsidiary Diploma in Art and Design (3D Design) (QCF) with grade Merit, 2017; Pearson BTEC Level 3, Extended Diploma in Art and Design (3D Design) (QCF) with Triple grade Distinction,* Merit, Merit, (D*MM) – 2018. For His first-degree qualification, David graduated from Coventry University, Coventry, United Kingdom, with a Bachelor of Art with Honours Upper Second Class in Automotive and Transport Design – 2018-2022. David, in his profile, writes, ‘I’m a university graduate diagnosed with a learning disability and other health issues. I had previously undergone a series of hospital treatments. The experience made me understand and care about people and those vulnerable. I am hardworking and teachable.’

David worked between June to August 2018/2019 as Warehouse Operative for Amazon Tilbury through the Adecco agency. According to David, ‘while working for them, I mostly had to pick items from containers and properly and correctly scan them into Amazon Robotics quickly, making minimum errors as possible. In addition, I had to make sure I placed the goods/orders in the correct department while filing my quota of goods for the day. The work was challenging but rewarding, and the ten-hour shifts built up my resilience. Since 2015 till date, David and his senior brother, Samuel OroOluwaye, have been helping each July, for a week, as volunteers as a helper with other leaders in a CEF Children’s Camp in Durrow, Ireland. The centre focuses on spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ to children. David loves writing. He continues to develop a Christian literature blog to spread the Gospel among the youth.

All life comes from God. Oluwapamilerin David Okegbile, you are a gift from God. You are God’s intention and extension. Looking back at age 4 when the doctors were unsure what would happen then and, in the future, your 25th silver Jubilee birthday celebration is to live into God’s call (Rom 15:13; Heb 13:20-21). 

David remains very optimistic about getting his professional job to start his career as an automobile designer. Kindly pray for David on his Silver Jubilee that the rest of his years shall be the best in Jesus’ name.

Whatever may be the name of your Goliath, you will kill them in Jesus’ name. Only Jesus can do what man cannot do. Doctors only care, but Jesus heals (Matthew 4:23). Please sing with us as we celebrate David Oluwapamilerin Okegbile @25:

Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father.

There is no shadow of turning with Thee.

Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not

As Thou hast been, Thou forever will be.

Great is Thy faithfulness.

Great is Thy faithfulness.

Morning by morning, new mercies I see.

All I have needed Thy hand hath provided.

Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me.

Summer and winter and springtime and harvest

Sun, moon, and stars in their courses above

Join with all nature in manifold witness.

To Thy great faithfulness, mercy, and love

Great is Thy faithfulness.

Great is Thy faithfulness.

Morning by morning, new mercies I see.

All I have needed Thy hand hath provided.

Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth

Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide.

Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow

Blessings all mine with 10, 000 besides

Great is Thy faithfulness.

Great is Thy faithfulness.

Morning by morning, new mercies I see.

All I have needed Thy hand hath provided.

Great is Thy faithfulness.

Great is Thy faithfulness.

Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me.