When Tijan left Gambia six years ago to shoot hoops in the United States, he knew he wouldn’t have the chance to help his mother through an illness that had been ailing her for more than five years. In January, his brothers left him a voicemail with difficult news: his mother had passed away. He hadn’t seen her since he left home in 2004. A few weeks later, we asked him how he coped with the loss.
What was it like to get that message?
“As soon as I got that voicemail, it was tough. That moment, I said, “Wow.”
How did it happen? Was it a shock?
“She passed January 2, but she was sick for a long time. Before I left, she had diabetes. The stuff kept coming — like on and on. Lately, it just came back and attacked her, so they took her to the hospital. She was doing great. After they took her back home, she was feeling bad, and a week after that, they call me and tell me — my mom just passed.”
How hard was it for you?
“It was tough at first, you know, but I’m around good people like coaches, players, and other people who do a good job with that. Just talked to me. I’m comfortable with that.”
How is your family doing?
“It’s very tough. We just keep calling each other. We just have to take care of each other. It’s how we’re dealing with this loss — just calling each other and talking to each other.”
