Johnny Lever’s daughter recalls the ‘divine’ miracle that saved her brother after a failed surgery: ‘It felt like a sign from God’ | Bollywood News

Veteran actor-comedian Johnny Lever is widely regarded as one of the most iconic comedians in the hory of Indian cinema. There was a time in the 1990s when he seemed to appear in almost every film that released. With immense fame, success, and financial stability, life appeared to be at its peak. However, a devastating personal crisis soon changed everything for the Lever family. The turning point came when Johnny Lever’s son, Jessey Lever, was diagnosed with a tumour in his neck at a young age. The diagnosis shook the entire family. An initial surgery in India failed, leaving them dressed and uncertain about the future. What followed, however, was a journey of faith and resilience that the family now describes as nothing short of a miracle.
‘Our life completely changed’
Jessey Lever was around 10 or 12 years old when he was diagnosed with the tumour. Recalling that difficult phase, his elder ser Jamie Lever spoke to journal Vickey Lalwani on his YouTube channel.
“He had a tumour when he was in school. At first, we didn’t understand what it was, but then it became uncontrollable. It started making him uncomfortable. He even changed the way he dressed to hide the tumour. As a ser, I felt like I needed to protect him. We were in the same school, and I was always very protective about him,” she said.
Jamie revealed that the family had to prepare for a complicated surgery.
“We had to go into surgery, and it was very difficult and complicated. During that phase, our life changed completely. We were always a God-fearing family, but after this incident, things became very spiritual and real for us.”
She added that the experience made the family rethink what truly mattered in life.
“It suddenly taught us that money and fame will fade away. What truly matters is family, faith, and being there for each other. During that time, we came together as a family, prayed a lot, and completely surrendered our lives to God.”Story continues below this ad
‘Parents went through a tough time’
Recalling those painful days, Jamie Lever said watching her parents cope with the situation was particularly difficult.
“I saw my parents go through a very tough time caring for their son. Jessey was a very pampered child. To see him go through surgery and recovery was heartbreaking. But today, we are very proud of the person he has become. He is extremely strong. If you see him today, you would never guess that he went through something like that.”
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Speaking about the unsuccessful surgery in Mumbai, Jamie shared: “We had one surgery in Mumbai which failed. Then we had another surgery in America, which was a very long one. So he went through two surgeries. It was a two-year process.”Story continues below this ad
During that period, the family turned deeply towards prayer and faith.
“When the first surgery failed, we started praying a lot. As a family, we would constantly pray. People would come to our house and pray with us. When my parents took Jessey to America for the second surgery, we stayed in India and prayed 24/7.”
‘Johnny Lever went on his knees, spoke to God’
Jamie Lever also shared an emotional moment from that time involving her father Johnny Lever .
“My dad went down on his knees and asked God if he should let his son go through the second surgery. At that moment, he felt as if he heard God’s voice telling him, ‘Go for it.’”Story continues below this ad
A trip to America changed everything
Interestingly, the trip to the United States was not originally planned for medical treatment.
“We had gone to the US for a summer holiday. My parents were just trying to fulfil every wish Jessey had because he was unwell.”
It was during that trip that the family believes they received a divine sign.
“We were in a church when a priest noticed him and asked what had happened. When we told him about the tumour, he gave us the name of a hospital and said, ‘God is going to heal him.’ It felt like a sign from God, so we immediately followed up. The surgery happened there, and he came out fine.”Story continues below this ad
Jamie said the entire experience changed their family’s outlook on life.
‘Fame got into our heads’
“After that, we decided we would never return to the lifestyle where fame got into our heads. My dad had gone through a phase where he became an alcoholic and was away from home a lot. It was a traumatic time for us. But that phase ultimately brought us closer as a family. Today, fame and money don’t affect us the way they once did.”
As a gesture of gratitude, the Lever siblings continue to stay connected to their faith through music at church.
“Now we go to church every Sunday. Whenever I’m not shooting or performing, I sing in church. My brother plays the drums, and I sing. We absolutely love doing it.”