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Police are ‘increasingly concerned’ for missing student, 19, with sickle cell disease who has been shielding for a year and ‘struggling to cope’ with university
- Student Richard Okorogheye, 19, was last seen by family in London on March 22
- His mother Evidence Joel said he had been ‘struggling to cope’ with university
- Mr Okorogheye has sickle cell disease and has been shielding due to lockdown
- He is believed to have left his family home in Ladbroke Grove area on March 22
Police are today becoming ‘increasingly concerned’ for a university student with sickle cell disease who has not been in a week.
Student Richard Okorogheye, 19, said he was ‘struggling to cope’ with university and had been shielding during lockdown, according to his mother Evidence Joel.
Mr Okorogheye, a business and IT student at Oxford Brookes, is believed to have left his family home in the Ladbroke Grove area of west London on March 22.
He has not been seen since, police say.
Ms Joel, who is a nurse, told the MyLondon website: ‘Richard has never done anything like this. Something has gone wrong.’
She said her son was currently shielding from Covid due to his sickle cell disease – a serious and lifelong health condition in which sufferers have unusually shaped red blood cells.
The condition, which is more common in people with an African or Caribbean family background, can cause painful episodes, tiredness and shortness of breath and an increased risk of serious infections.
Ms Joel added: ‘He would only leave the house to go to hospital for regular blood transfusions for his condition.’
Student Richard Okorogheye, 19, said he was ‘struggling to cope’ with university and had been shielding during lockdown, according to his mother Evidence Joel
Ms Joel recalled her son saying he was going to visit a friend – though friends say they have not seen him.
She also told MyLondon that he had told her to drive safe and that he would ‘see me later’.
She returned home from a nursing shift at around 9pm and assumed he was in his room.
Ms Joel cooked him a meal but found he was not there when she knocked on his door and he did not answer his telephone.
The alarm was raised after a locksmith helped her gain entry to the room and he was not there.
However his wallet, bus pass and bank card were left behind.
The teenager was last seen Kensal Road, on March 22 at approximately 8.30pm, police said. He was reported missing on March 24.
Officers added that he was known to frequent London’s Westminster and Hammersmith and Fulham areas.
The teenager (pictured) was last seen leaving his home and heading in the direction of Ladbroke Grove, west London, on March 22 at approximately 8.30pm, police said
Chief Inspector Clare McCarthy, of the Met’s Central West Command Unit, said: ‘Our officers have been working tirelessly to locate Richard, using all investigative opportunities and data inquiries, speaking with witnesses and trawling CCTV.
‘We are following every lead possible and are appealing for the public to help us in our work.
‘If you may have seen Richard, please contact police.
‘If Richard is safe and well, we ask him to contact us as a matter of urgency so that we can put his family’s minds at ease.’
Anyone with information is asked to call police on 101 quoting 21MIS008134, or they can call 999 in an emergency.
They could also go online – at https://www.missingpeople.org.uk/ – to pass any information on to the charity Missing People.
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