Emotions flow as recuperating Gloria Kemasuode unites with family

It was a sight to behold yesterday when 2008 Olympic medalist, Gloria Kemasuode, who is undergoing medical evaluation at the Federal Medical Centre, Yenagoa burst into tears when her mother and younger brother, Kennedy Kemasuode visited her at the hospital. 

Kemasuode, who was in the Nigerian 4×100 metres relay team that won a silver medal at the Beijing Olympics, was earlier this year reported to be facing a mental challenge and was roaming the streets of Yenagoa.

Last week, the Athletics Federation of Nigeria (AFN) and the Bayelsa State government took her to the Federal Medical Centre, Yenagoa, where she is currently getting treatment.

During an exclusive interview at the hospital, Kennedy said Gloria was responding fast to treatment and had already started looking forward to a better future for herself and her family.

Kennedy, who was filled with gratitude to all that contributed in helping Gloria regain her normal life, said her quick response to treatment was also helping him recover from the depression he suffered as a result of her sudden disappearance.

“For sometime now, the entire family has been worried about her safety. I am her far younger brother, and I hadn’t the financial capacity to help her when she started showing signs that things were not alright with her.

“One day she suddenly left the house and never returned.

I called her lines ceaselessly but they were permanently switched off. I searched for her but couldn’t reach her. My plan was if I see her, I would drag her to Mercyland Church in Warri. I even told my friends to alert me whenever they see her but it didn’t succeed.

“I kept on trying until I read in the papers that she was hospitalized in Yenagoa. So yesterday my mother and I paid her a visit. When I saw my sister, I couldn’t hold back the tears as I wept like a baby. Both Gloria and our mother were also in tears, it was an emotional moment in our lives.

“We are overjoyed that she is responding to treatment and getting better. We spoke with her for several minutes, and we are happy that she has started talking about her future already. But, she needs total rehabilitation. The family is most grateful to Athletics Federation of Nigeria, the Bayelsa State government and the individuals that played this big role,” he said.

However, several attempts to see her in the hospital proved abortive, as Doctors refused to reveal what caused her condition, saying she do not need any form of public distraction at this point of her treatment.

When Kennedy was asked to find out if the Doctors revealed the cause of her ailment to the family he said “the Doctors didn’t tell us what was responsible for her condition. 

“They said that our concern should be her improvement and response to treatment. At the time we were with her, she has started talking normal as she used to do before she got sick.”