Tevin Obiga is a name that might not ring a bell to many sports fans, but his recent plight has captured people's attention on a global scale.
Obiga, a 25-year-old Kenyan footballer, was hospitalised in Winnipeg, Canada after doctors diagnosed him with blastomycosis - a fungal infection that affects the lungs.
Fearing the worst, his mother, Lilian Ndiego, applied for a single-entry temporary Visa in order to visit her son who is on life support. However, her applications were rejected multiple times.
According to a report by CBC News, Obiga is on life support at St Boniface Hospital.
"I was disappointed because they informed me that most Kenyans who go to Canada don't come back," Ndiego stated.
Obiga's plight got global attention after his story was published in international outlets.
Winnipeg Member of Parliament, Terry Duguid, wrote a letter to the High Commission of Canada in Kenya, urging them to allow Ndiego to visit her son. He noted that since Ndiego's family is back in Kenya, she would not extend her stay after visiting her son.
Further, the Kenyan High Commission in Ottawa wrote a letter to its counterpart in Nairobi to allow Obiga's mother to travel to Canada.
The uproar led to Ndiego's Visa application being granted.
"I'm excited and very grateful. I'm looking forward to seeing my son and giving him moral support. All I'm thinking is that my son is going to come out from the ICU. He's going to be on his feet," she told Information Radio.
Obiga had traveled to Canada in order to pursue his Computer Engineering studies at the University of Manitoba. He, however, got ill and was admitted to the hospital on January 13, 2022.
After doctors performed surgery on him, his condition began to deteriorate. Owen Mooney, the doctor in charge of the operation, noted that Obiga is on the "maximum amount of life support a patient can receive."
Obiga played for the national team at the African Nations Cup qualifiers last year.
