Ex-AFC Leopards Footballer Ezekiel Otuoma Succumbs to Motor Neurone Disease

Former AFC Leopards forward Ezekiel Otuoma passed away on Friday night, December 20, after a long battle with Motor Neuron Disease (MND).

Taking to her TikTok account, his wife, Rachel Otuoma, announced the sad news, adding that the tragedy occurred on her birthday.

“To my husband, you left a hole in my heart that no one else can fill. The emptiness in my arms reminds me of the love we shared. Your love was a gift, and I’ll cherish it always, though it was so soon. That really broke my heart—you left on my birthday,” Rachel wrote.

“It will never be the same again. You never said you were leaving or even showed a sign. You never said goodbye. In life, I loved you dearly. In death, I love you still. In my heart, you hold a place that only you can fill.”

The disease, also known as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) weakens the muscles of the patient and impacts physical movement.

It is an incurable disease that attacks the brain and nerves and the weakness in the patient’s body gets worse over time.

Symptoms include; weakness in the ankle or leg, slurred speech, a weak grip, muscle cramps or twitches, weight loss and difficulty controlling emotions like laughing or crying in inappropriate situations.

Although it affects mostly the older population in their 60s or 70s, Otuoma was among the few relatively younger adults who suffered the illness as he was diagnosed in his 30s.

At the time of his death, he was 38 and his health had deteriorated to the extent that he was unable to walk or talk properly.

His wife had taken over the role of caregiver and stood by him, assisting him with all the activities he was unable to do on his own.

The football community rallied behind him at one point to help him with the hospital bills. A local betting company even donated Ksh3 million to facilitate his specialised treatment in Germany.

Ultimately, his condition deteriorated and he succumbed just four years after his diagnosis.