Thiago Silva: Brazil Captain and TB Survivor

13 June 2014 - Thiago Silva, Brazil’s captain, who led Brazil to its first victory at the World Cup’s first match Thursday night is a TB survivor. In 2005, Russian doctors in Moscow, where Thiago had gone to play for Dynamo, found that the cough and constant fever and flu-symptoms he couldn’t shake off in fact was far developed tuberculosis.

Fortunately for Thiago, for Brazil and for the world of football, Thiago’s strain of TB responded well to drugs. After six months in hospital and altogether a year of convalescence, Thiago could play again, but he had to start over. He got a contract with a Brazilian team and a year later, won the Brazilian cup. Thiago was back.

"I transformed pessimism into challenge, and desperation into determination," Thiago now says about his meeting with TB.

We wish Thiago and Brazil many more victories over the coming weeks (and Croatia as well...)