Mother suffers two heart attacks, one stroke since Nickfotoworks' owner went missing

It has been nothing but heartache and pain for the family and friends of popular photographer Niketa Thomas ever since he went missing last October.

His family and friends are begging for closure. To date, there has been no substantial leads into his disappearance.

According to Niketa's brother, Everton Thomas, the family has been longing for news regarding the photographer's whereabouts.

So distraught is Niketa's mother, that she has reportedly suffered two heart attacks and a stroke.

"My mother I don't know how she lived. She has been admitted to hospital twice. It is as a direct result of Nik's disappearance. They were very close," Thomas explained.

"She was admitted for heart failure, twice, and stroke. Nik and her were very close. It's been a really really rough time," he added.

Thomas is of the view that the police have been tight-lipped regarding the state of investigations into the matter, driving him to carry out tasks similar to that of a private investigator.

"Sometimes, the response is very heartrending. Most times when you ask questions, people say that they have been told not to venture there," he said.

Still, the family remains hopeful that Thomas will someday return home safe and sound.

Niketa's co-workers have sought to continue his legacy by carrying on the name of the business, 'Nickfotoworks'.

Jermaine Jackson, a photographer at Nickfotoworks, lamented the co-founder's disappearance. He refused to let the foundation he built fade into nothingness.

"We haven't heard anything at all. We are still in the dark about what is happening, but we a try fi see if we can hold it same way," Jackson said.

"We still do shoots and bookings for parties, and all these things. His little bother, Glenroy, is the one that is doing the photo work right now," Jackson added.

Attempts made to reach the Jamaica Constabulary Force's Missing Person Monitoring Unit for an update proved futile.

Niketa Thomas and his cousin, Dwight Brown, have been missing since October 5 last year.

Police statistics indicate more than 16,730 persons have gone missing since January 2010, of which 1,681 have not been found.