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Like the wise guy he is, Fernando Augusto “Tererê” tried to pull one over on the nurses who entered his bedroom late last night: “You know what? I have a Jiu-Jitsu seminar scheduled. Can we take care of this when I get back?” There was no way out, and at around two in the morning the black belt peacefully returned to the rehab center in Sorocaba, São Paulo, where he already spent a few months nearly three years ago.

His departure for treatment went smoothly, much more so than on previous occasions. However heart wrenching the experience, friends and family still recalled in good cheer one prior time when the fighter was reluctant to go for treatment. “There was one time when he ran away from the nurses, went through the brush and up a tree. As there were no branches on the tree, he ended up wearing out. From up there he started throwing things at the guys, as if it were a video game,” recalled Elan Santiago, the black belt’s friend at team Alliance, once Tererê was already on his way to treatment.

LAST JIU-JITSU TRAINING SESSION BEFORE REHAB

This time, even the police officers from the UPP (police pacification unit) in the neighborhood helped the family, and everything worked out fine. “We already managed to get the most important part done, and now there’s all this professional assistance. What we need now is to collect funds, as the family doesn’t have any, to keep him in rehab and for medicine,” said Elan.

According to his friends, Tererê seemed resigned and, better still, wanting to get get help. “It seemed like he knew he was going to have to leave,” said Elan. “He ate right on Monday, went to train Jiu-Jitsu with the kids in Cantagalo and didn’t use any drugs over the last few days. The family was hopeful.”

Anyone who would like to help by donating funds for his treatment, find out how by clicking here.