Actor Shaquille Ali-Yebuah Received News of Cousin's Death by Police Before Emergency Surgery

Shaquille Ali-Yebuah, known for his role in the BBC crime series "Death in Paradise," revealed that he was informed of his cousin's death at the hands of police in Jamaica just before being taken into emergency surgery for a collapsed lung.

The 31-year-old actor was hospitalized in Los Angeles with what was initially suspected to be a chest infection. Doctors later diagnosed him with a collapsed lung, necessitating three surgeries over the course of a month.

Ali-Yebuah described the traumatic events on Instagram on September 11, detailing how he received the news about his cousin's death. "Right before they wheeled me into surgery, I got news my cousin got killed by police back home in Jamaica," he wrote. "Imagine trying to process a death while somebody's asking you to sign papers in case YOU don't wake up."

He further recounted waking up from surgery to more difficult news: "I wake up from surgery, body cut up full of tubes, grateful I made it - just to hear my other lil cousin got locked up. RIP Dada."

Ali-Yebuah shared throwback family photos alongside images from his hospital stay at Beverly Hills' Cedars-Sinai hospital, which included him receiving IV treatment.

Speaking about his medical ordeal, the actor explained that a "short trip to LA turned into 4 weeks of survival." He had initially sought medical attention for chest pain, only to discover he had been walking around with a collapsed lung for five days. After the first surgery to fix it, he was advised to remain in LA until cleared for travel. However, follow-up X-rays revealed his lung had collapsed again.

"Spontaneous pneumothorax back to back," he stated. "It was almost like life was forcing me to be still."

Ali-Yebuah expressed gratitude to the medical staff and noted the unsettling frequency of injections he received for blood clotting, turning a fear of needles into a daily routine. He mentioned that his first surgery was unsuccessful, and by the time of his third operation, he had lost a significant amount of weight. "8KG down right before the 3rd surgery. Kept my Mind elevated even though my body couldn't, they cut me open multiple times but couldn't cut my spirit."

Prior to seeking medical help, Ali-Yebuah admitted he had been pushing himself physically. He recalled performing push-ups at Venice Beach an hour before going to the hospital for shortness of breath, unaware that he had been walking with a collapsed lung for five days and mistaking the pain for a chest infection.

He also noted a peculiar encounter with a doctor in Los Angeles who was a fan of "Death in Paradise." "The Main Doctor at the first hospital and overseer of my first surgery turned out to be a huge fan of DIP, what's the odds," he wrote.

During his recovery, Ali-Yebuah felt a pervasive sense of mortality, amplified by hospital television news reporting on the deaths of various celebrities. "Death felt way too present while I was lying there fighting to breathe, alone with my thoughts."

Concluding his reflections, he suggested that the recurring pneumothorax might have been a sign from a higher power, prompting him to be still after a life spent constantly moving. "The thing is, you can't prevent a spontaneous pneumothorax, so to have it back to back maybe God made me be still because I spent my whole life moving - chasing the next dream, the next flight, the next version of me."

He added, "I was worried about the scenes I was missing... then life gave me a role where the only thing that mattered was making it to the next scene."

Ali-Yebuah imparted a philosophical outlook on life and death, stating, "They say you only live once, but I don't agree. You only DIE once, you LIVE every day, make it count."