Ghanaian fashion icon Richard Brown, popularly known as Osebo the Zaraman, has hit back at critics who accuse him of wearing fake products.
Osebo the Zaraman, who is known for his unique and daring fashion sense, said that judging a product just by looking at it from a distance is unfair and inaccurate.
Instead, he argues that the only way to determine the authenticity of a product is to touch it or use it personally and experience its quality.
He made these remarks during an interview on Hitz Fm’s Daybreak Hitz.
“I have a wrist watch on me and from a distance you are telling me it is fake, prove it to me, without holding it, without touching it, without seeing it one on one, what makes it fake?
“From a distance, what makes it fake, nobody can even do that, most of the iPhones sold in Circle are fake, you haven’t touched it, you haven’t experienced it yet you say it’s fake, what makes it fake, based on what?” Osebo the Zaraman stated.
Osebo the Zaraman, who is the CEO of Zara 24/7, a boutique that sells authentic designer brands, said that he sources his products from reputable suppliers and does not compromise on quality.
He has often expressed nonchalance about the opinions of his critics, as he dresses to please himself and express his personality.
Osebo the Zaraman has been nominated for the 2023 YEN Entertainment Awards in the category of Best Dressed Male Celebrity, alongside Nana Safo Savile Row, Godwin Asediba, James Gardiner, and Wesley Kesse.
After receiving cancer diagnoses for both her husband and daughter, a mother explained how her family had to fight the sickness again.
Dad Last August, Richard Brown was happy to see Mabel, his five-year-old daughter, finish her leukemia treatment, but he was actually receiving radiotherapy for his own disease on a separate ward of the same hospital.
Richard, 46, was identified as having glioblastoma, a form of brain cancer with a 12- to 18-month life expectancy, in May of last year.
While Mabel has finished treatment and is now attending primary school, Richard continues his fight and has been undertaking cutting-edge immunotherapy treatment in Germany since last November.
Mum Holly, 43, from Dorking in Surrey, said: ‘Finding out Richard had an inoperable brain tumour while Mabel was still receiving cancer treatment was beyond comprehension.
‘Our entire world turned upside down once again.
‘For cancer to strike our family twice like this was devastating and frightening.
Richard Brown with daughters Evie, left, and Mabel, centre (Picture: Brain Tumour Research/SWNS)
‘It is shocking how starkly differently Mabel and Richard’s journeys have been – based on the type of cancer they have.
‘He was told to go away and live the best life he could with whatever time he had left.
‘I cannot believe how ineffective brain tumour treatments are, or that they haven’t changed in over two decades.’
Richard, who works in communications for an engineering firm, had an unexpected seizure last May and an MRI scan revealed a mass on his brain.
He had an awake craniotomy, which is where surgeons remove part of the bone from the skull to access the brain, and he had to keep talking to surgeons during the op to reduce the risk of damaging healthy parts of his brain.
The family – including Richard’s eldest daughter, Evie, 10 – had been planning a summer of celebration after Mabel’s successful treatment.
But these plans were scuppered when Richard began suffering sudden full-body seizures and was told treatment might buy him time, but wouldn’t cure him.
After exhausting NHS treatment options including chemotherapy and radiotherapy, Richard’s tumour kept growing and talk turned to palliative care.
But Richard refused to accept his prognosis and in November he started immunotherapy treatment in Germany – and his tumour has started shrinking.
What is a glioblastoma?
Glioblastoma multiforme is the most common primary brain tumour, which usually spreads quickly to other parts of the brain.
Because of this, the tumours are difficult to treat and are likely to come back.
They are more common in older adults and affect more men than women.
The average age at which glioblastoma is diagnosed is 55, and symptoms can often begin abruptly.
Complete surgical removal is very difficult, says the NHS, as the tumour tends to infiltrate within healthy brain tissue.
Radiotherapy rarely cures glioblastoma, but studies show it doubles the median survival of patients compared to supportive care alone.
Holly added: ‘Starting immunotherapy was an incredibly positive step for Richard.
‘For the first time, he felt as though he was taking some control of his treatment.
‘Eight weeks later we got the most amazing news – the tumour was getting smaller.
‘The immunotherapy treatment in Germany was working and we were blown away – this was beyond all expectations of his doctors at home.
‘Sadly, brain tumours are so fundamentally under-funded and under-researched in this country, so Richard’s only option is to travel to Germany every month to access this treatment and it is extremely expensive.’
The immunotherapy treatment, on top of medication and travel expenses, costs the family £9,000 every month.
The family can only afford this thanks to a GoFundMe page which to date has raised more than £125,000.
Holly said: ‘We could not possibly afford this treatment ourselves.
‘We are relying on the generosity of others to afford this treatment and save my husband’s life.
‘With more funding and research into brain tumours, promising treatments, such as immunotherapy, would be available in this country today.’
Dr Karen Noble, from the Brain Tumour Research charity, said: ‘We’re so sorry to hear about Richard’s diagnosis, especially during what should have been such a time of relief for the family.
‘No cancer is easy to deal with, and it’s heart-warming to know Mabel has successfully beaten leukaemia.
‘It just goes to show the stark difference in survival rates between cancers.
‘Just 12% of all brain tumour patients live beyond five years, compared with an average of 54% across all other cancers.
‘That has to change, but it will only be achieved with more research into this devastating disease.
‘We as a charity cannot bear the brunt of that alone. The government must step-up and invest in brain tumour research.’
Sadly the Brown family isn’t the only one to have multiple generations suffer with cancer.
Claire Cordiner lost her mum and her sister to a glioblastoma a year apart, and now her teenage nephew is on end-of-life care with the same health problems.
