Renowned musician Juliana Kanyomozi has disclosed that it took her four years to heal from the loss of her son, Keron Raphael Kabugo. Juliana is set to host a mega event dubbed ‘Boundless concert’ on 15th August, 2022, at Serena Hotel, Kampala, after eight years without stepping on stage.
Juliana revealed that Keron grew up with asthma. However, they were used to it and even knew how to handle it whenever he was attacked. “We knew how to treat it and I even had a nebulizer at home. During school days, we dressed him in a certain way when it was warm or cold,” she said.
Juliana further noted that part of the challenge was that Keron was very active in sports at school.
“The day he got an attack, he was in the field playing soccer and it was cold. They called me at school and told me he had gotten an attack and so I went and picked him up and put him on a nebulizer as usual. However, this time round I would easily tell that the attack was terrible than usual.”
She furthermore narrated that at night, she realised he was not breathing well and she decided to call a doctor who told her to take him to hospital, first thing in the morning.
“So, I took him and they treated him. Later, we went back home, but then he got another attack and this time it didn’t stop. When I told his pediatrician, he told me he knows the best pediatrician in East Africa who is in Nairobi and so he asked me if we could take him there.”
“We then made arrangements and got to Aga Khan hospital in Nairobi. But one week in, he continued to get worse and he passed on just like that.”
Juliana contended that as a mother, she felt like she had done everything right and was wondering why God decided to take away her only child.
She added that in the state of blaming herself for what had happened, someone made a statement to her that, “I would not be able to control everything.”
Juliana emphasized that as small as the statement seemed, it made a lot of sense to her adding that as a mother, she thought she was in control of everything.
“And so for me, it was such a lesson that in life, you can’t control everything. You can do the best as you can as a human being, but you can’t control everything and to me, that was like a lesson because it helped me come to terms with my son’s loss.”
She however revealed that for her to start the healing process, it took a lot of time.
Juliana asserted, “For me to start the healing process, it took me four years. Yes, I was singing but it is like I was like a robot because I was on and off.
“I remember for four years I kept his room as it was from the time of his death and I would not touch his things. And they used to tell me that the healing process comes at a time when you don’t expect it. I remember waking up one day and I felt like I was ready and so I went and packed his things and took them for charity. That was the first moment I knew that the healing process had started.”
When asked if social media worsened the condition she was going through, Juliana noted that sometimes it would and so she used to avoid it.
Juliana maintained that some of the challenges she faced at that time was people asking her to get another child which was not as easy as they thought because a child is not like a phone that when you lose it, one would easily replace it with another.
“I want people out there to know that when someone has lost their child, stop telling them to get another, it is insensitive because it is not what they want first of all at that moment and secondly a child is not going to be replaced just like that,” she cautioned.
She added that it all happened after six years despite the pressure because the clock was ticking and so she was expected to give birth so first.
Juliana went on to emphasize that in that moment of healing, she would be angry with God but at the same time was thankful.
“I was so thankful for the eleven years God gave me with this boy, I was thankful He gave me an opportunity to be his mother. So, one minute I was angry and the other I was thankful.”
When she was asked how she handled social media pressure after that moment and how bad being a public figure is, the legendary musician asserted that over time, she has learnt to be in control of what she puts on social media, what to share and not to share.
She propounded, “That was not negotiable. There are certain aspects of my life that I decided are not for the public like my family, relationship and my child.”
Juliana further re-echoed that she met so many judgemental people who kept asking her why she was not giving birth.
“I wish people knew how insensitive and bad it is to ask a woman such a question because you don’t know what she is going through.”
Speaking about her concert, Juliana noted that she is doing a lot of rehearsals to give her fans the best.
“Everything I am planning for (my fans) that night will be a surprise so I just want you to come and see.”
She also noted that the concert is for special guests, so everyone who is invited is a special guest.
