Kenyan fitness trainer Jane Mukami has lost her brother 28 year old Stephen Ornstein Githehu.
Gitehu, a 28 year old ex US-military serviceman, committed suicide while in Georgia, USA, on Thursday.
In a heart wrenching post on Facebook, Jane Mukami popularly known as ‘Fitkenyangirl’ announced her brother’s passing with heavy emotions.
The late tephen Ornstein Githehu. PHOTO|COURTESY
In the post, she said she was angry because her brother had been unable to get the help that the family had sought for him. She narrated how the family learnt about her brother’s post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and psychological condition and that he had threatened to commit suicide several times.
She said that she reached out to various authorities in US and Kenya after her brother cut of all communication with the family for almost a year.
“I’m angry because ever since we discovered he had possible PTSD/psychological issues we reached out on numerous occasions to the VA, Cobb County police, Cobb County Court system, the Kenyan Embassy in DC, the US Embassy in Nairobi,” Mukami wrote. “Everyone we possibly could asking for help.”
Mukami showed the suicide threat text messages to police asking them to check him into rehab but was constantly rebuffed. The police insisted that he was an adult and they could not forcibly check him in
According to Mukami, Githehu lived in total isolation for those 12 months.
“I showed these texts to the police as i begged them to check him into rehab or do anything that would help get him back on track…all I got back was “Sorry ma’am unless he does something drastic, there is nothing we can do. He is an adult we cannot force him.
Unless he takes himself to get help we cannot be of help.” she wrote.
Mukami believes that had efforts to get Githehu back to Kenya borne fruit, he would be alive and well.
Her revelations came at a time where many families have loved ones struggling with mental health issues but are afraid to open up.
In the US, American soldiers who have come back from the battlefield suffer from PTSD from the event of war.
Here is her full post.
My heart bleeds with sadness, but I’m more angry than sad. My brother committed suicide a few hours ago…he was 28 years old Ex-US military. I’m angry because ever since we discovered he had possible ptsd/psychological issues we reached out on numerous occasions to the VA, Cobb County police, Cobb County Court system, The Kenyan Embassy in DC, The US Embassy in Nairobi…everyone we possibly could asking for help. We needed their help because Stephen cut the family off the last 12 months and refused to communicate with us…he lived in total isolation. He constantly texted about killing himself, I showed these texts to the police as i begged them to check him into rehab or do anything that would help get him back on track…all I got back was
“Sorry ma’am unless he does something drastic, there is nothing we can do”
“He is an adult we cannot force him”
“Unless he takes himself to get help we cannot be of help”
1 thing i know for sure is that had we found a way of getting my brother back to Kenya, he would still be alive. So now I ask America, Was him committing suicide drastic enough for you? I no longer have a brother, mom Mary Kingatua and Eddy no longer have a son, and all because laws + the system didn’t ‘allow’ us to step in and help. Rest In Peace Mitu…I’m sorry we failed you.
