Willian Pacho's Heartbreaking Story: The Loss of His Mother

PSG's Ecuadorian defender Willian Pacho has shared one of the most personal and painful moments of his career with the public. In a personal essay published in The Players' Tribune, the player recounted the day, a few months after his mother was diagnosed with cancer, when his head coach at Independiente del Valle told him he would be making his first-team debut. Pacho wrote that he called his mother to share the news but couldn't reach her; they had spoken the day before, when she told him she felt exhausted, saying, "Today I feel so ugly," to which he replied, "Mom, you look amazing. Stop it. Just rest."

Unable to reach her again, Pacho wrote that he sent her a message saying: "Sleep really early tomorrow night. I'm playing my first match. You have to watch the game." He said he couldn't sleep from excitement, thinking only of the two forwards he would be facing. He described waking up to a flood of messages from family and friends, and, sensing something was wrong as people offered condolences mentioning his mother, panicking and calling his sister, who told him: "What? Don't be ridiculous. It's just a rumour. She's fine. An ambulance brought her home from the hospital, that's what they saw. She's resting. Don't worry. Call us after the game." He said he believed her.

Pacho wrote that as he walked onto the pitch, his only thought was: "Mom is watching me on TV. I have to win every ball for her." He described how the team kept a clean sheet, but that as he left the pitch, his coach led him to the team psychologist's office. When the door opened, his father and brother-in-law were waiting; they told him his mother had passed away that morning, having hidden the news from him all day so he could live out his dream. "I screamed with more pain than I had ever felt before. I had never felt so alone," Pacho wrote, conveying the depth of that moment. Having gone on to join PSG following the 2019 incident, Pacho is said to be sharing this story to offer hope to children who have lost a parent at a young age.

This story touches on a sensitive topic involving the loss of a parent and grief. Readers who have experienced a similar loss and need support can reach out to a mental health professional or someone they trust.

Source: The Players' Tribune
Image: Tribuna