Nigerian social media personality and personal shopper, popularly known as Aunty Esther, has died after battling breast cancer and refusing blood transfusion, a development that has sparked intense national debate over faith, medical decisions, and public fundraising.
Aunty Esther, whose full name is Mensah Omolola, was a Lagos State-based food vendor and online personal shopper. She rose to prominence on X (formerly Twitter) for her market-run services. She was widely known for purchasing food items such as pepper, vegetables, and groceries for customers, documenting her daily hustle with humour and resilience. Her consistency and personality endeared her to thousands of followers, earning her the nickname: "Pepper Girl."
In late 2025, she publicly disclosed that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer, which medical sources said had spread to her axillary region (armpit). As her condition deteriorated, she was admitted to the Lakeshore Cancer Centre in Lagos, where doctors prepared to commence chemotherapy. However, medical evaluations showed that her blood levels were critically low, making immediate chemotherapy unsafe without first correcting the anemia.
Doctors recommended a blood transfusion to stabilise her condition and allow treatment to proceed. The transfusion was described as a necessary step to increase her blood count before chemotherapy could safely begin. Despite this advice and the availability of funds for her care, Aunty Esther declined the transfusion on religious grounds.
She was a Jehovah's Witness, a Christian denomination that teaches its members to refuse blood transfusions based on biblical interpretation. Reports indicated that accepting blood could lead to severe disciplinary consequences within the church, including possible disfellowship. As a result, she opted for alternative blood-boosting treatments, including injections and supportive therapies, which are known to work more slowly in critical cases.
Following the public revelation of her illness, Nigerians rallied around her in an outpouring of support. A crowdfunding campaign coordinated by social media charity advocates raised over ₦30 million to support her cancer treatment. The fundraising effort drew widespread attention, with donations coming from ordinary Nigerians and public figures alike.
The revelation that Aunty Esther refused a blood transfusion despite the funds raised for her has triggered heated public reactions.
While some Nigerians defended her right to make medical decisions based on personal faith, others questioned the ethics of rejecting medical advice after receiving substantial public donations. The situation quickly evolved into a national conversation about the limits of religious belief in life-threatening medical situations, patient autonomy, and the responsibilities attached to publicly funded medical care.
Aunty Esther died in December 2025, with confirmation of her passing shared by close supporters online. Her death prompted an outpouring of grief, anger, and reflection across social media platforms. Many mourned her as a hardworking woman whose life resonated with everyday Nigerians, while others viewed her story as a tragic example of how belief systems can intersect with modern medicine in devastating ways.