Six-year-old Devi ‘Tina’ Mangal, was the first to show signs of illness on Tuesday and a post-mortem examination would have to be done determine what caused her death. Two of the surviving children, Devishkar Mangal, 7, and one-year-old, Lisa Edwards, seemed to be improving but their older brother, Ajay Mangal, 9, was still not doing too well. He was “sleeping all the time,” his stepfather Carl Edwards said yesterday.
Edwards said Devishkar was “running around” and even said he was “ready to go home.” Edwards has not met the doctor as yet to find out what exactly was wrong with the children.
Devi was rushed to the hospital early on Wednesday morning along with her older brother, Ajay who also complained of feeling unwell. The other children were also subsequently admitted to the hospital.
Edwards recalled that Devi started vomiting and developed a fever around 3:30 pm. He said his reputed wife, Lilamattie ‘Chiney’ Ramdeen gave her daughter fever reliever and put her to sleep.
She woke during the night and cried out for headache and vomited again. Early the next morning she complained of headaches and pain in the feet. By then Devishkar also complained of feeling unwell and the two were taken to the hospital.
The man, who works as a carpenter on the East Bank of Demerara, said the children were found to be dehydrated but he could not understand why. As far as he was concerned, the children did not suffer from diarrhoea that could have caused them to be dehydrated and they would normally drink a lot of liquid.
He said he had already left for work on Wednesday morning when he got the news around 9 am that the child had died and he immediately travelled back to Berbice.
He also dispelled rumours that the children were not eating proper meals and said up to the Easter weekend when he got a break from work and came home he gave Ramdeen all of his money to purchase items for the house.
Edwards, who is the older children’s stepfather and Lisa’s father, said he also purchased kites for his stepchildren and took them to fly the kites on Easter Monday. He said the children attend the Lochaber Primary and would “hold hands and go to school every day.” They would also return home for the lunch. He said their mother does not work and stays at home and take care of them.
The man mentioned too that Ramdeen and the children’s father were separated about two years ago and since he became involved with her he has been taking care of the children.
