Omire Wharton, the 19-year-old cyclist who was hit by a van while riding along the New Hope Public Road on September 13, remains in a critical condition at the Georgetown Public Hospital.
Shortly after 7pm that night Wharton and two friends, who had just left another friend’s house in Friendship, were on their way home when the accident occurred. The van, one of Wharton’s two friends had reported, was overtaking another vehicle when it hit the young man.
Wharton had been admitted to the hospital’s Intensive Care Unit but was transferred to the High Dependency Unit last Thursday. When Stabroek News visited him yesterday he was being fed through a tube, his eyes were open and staring at a fixed point in the ceiling, and he was unresponsive.
“It’s hard for me to look at my son when he’s in this state,” Winnett Halley told Stabroek News yesterday. “He hasn’t gotten better… he still isn’t responding to us.”
The distressed mother related that since sustaining his injuries her son has not spoken a word and does not respond to any form of communication. Recently, she said, Wharton would start trembling in bed and runs very high temperatures.
Since Wharton’s accident the woman has been visiting the hospital three times every day. During visiting hours she helps clean and feed him, she said, and speaks to him “like normal” hoping for a response.
“I don’t know what else to do,” Halley said. “My family and I are praying and hoping that Omire will make it through this.”
Meanwhile, the driver of the vehicle which hit the teenager has visited her several times, Halley said. The driver, according to her, was released on station bail and police are waiting to see what will happen to Wharton before instituting charges.
