At four in the morning this Wednesday, Jiu-Jitsu sensation Fernando Tererê finally left the Cantagalo favela and was checked in at a highly-regarded clinic in Sorocaba, São Paulo, to begin treatment for depression.

Relieved about the champion’s chances for recovery, the family now needs more financial resources (around 10 thousand reais), to keep the fighter in the clinic.

“He was taken by ambulance. It’s sad, but it must be celebrated as a victory,” says friend Elan Santiago, an Alliance-team teacher. “It’s a maximum security clinic, but with all the structure he needs right now – psychologists, psychiatrists, monitored physical activities and even a garden. It will be good for him, and the family is somewhat happy. But just checking him in cost his mother 2,400 reais, the monthly rate is 1,190 reais.”

Fighters and friends like Marcelo Garcia, Tatiana Tognini, Saulo Ribeiro and Rômulo Barral, among many others, have contributed. But a final push from the Jiu-Jitsu community is needed to save Tererê.

Anyone who wishes to help by donating to the Terere fund via Paypal may do so through Marcelo Garcia’s Terere Help Fund, clicking the link below.

https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=7940152

The Brazilian bank account the family set up for anyone who would like to help is:

Banco do Brasil

Agência: 0525-8
Conta Corrente: 24611-5
Carlos Augusto da Silva (Tio Barriga)
CPF: 495662967-20