Former Braves mascot Chief Noc-A-Homa in failing health
By Adam Murphy
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ATLANTA, Georgia (WGCL) — Chief Noc-A-Homa got his start as the Braves mascot in 1969. He became famous for doing a dance on the pitcher’s mound before games.
And he was there to witness Hank Aaron’s record-breaking 715th homerun. It was a 16-year run as a mascot which ended in 1985.
“He misses it, he misses it. I’ll tell you that. He misses it. It doesn’t matter how old he gets he misses it,” Chief Noc-A-Homa’s daughter Gwyn Newman said.
The Chief’s daughter remembers it like it was yesterday. But today, her father, Levi Walker Jr., is 80-years-old and has seen better days.
“He has been diagnosed with metabolic encephalopathy and he’s not walking on his own,” Newman said.
In July, the former Braves mascot was rushed to the Northeast Georgia Medical Center for treatment. His health has been declining for years.
“Well, he has been on dialysis for eight years, so he goes three times a week on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday to dialysis and that’s a lot to deal with already and he’s got dementia so it’s rearing its ugly head, I guess,” Newman said.
He also had heart surgery recently and has struggled with diabetes for 40 years.
“He needs help, he needs help moving. He needs help trying to get back to where he was,” Newman said.
Last year, CBS46 caught up with Chief Noc-A-Homa at a powwow in north Georgia making arrowheads and tomahawks for his fans.
“I’ve been blessed by the fans to be the mascot for the Atlanta Braves,” Chief Noc-A-Homa said last year.
Now the Chief’s family is asking fans for help. Hoping a GoFundMe page will help cover the cost of mounting medical bills totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars.
“He’s an outgoing person. He’s a get-up-and-goer. So, to see him like this is heartbreaking,” Newman said.
A GoFundMe page has been set up by Homa’s daughter.
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