Members of a family who survived last month’s Lima, Essequibo Coast accident, which claimed the lives of three persons, are bedridden at a relative’s home, where they are now enduring a painful recovery and hoping for any assistance that may be forthcoming.
“We prefer to be at home because to be like this in a hospital is really uncomfortable. At least at home we get to be around family and so to help us,” Alan Gildharie, 35, told Stabroek News as he rested on a mattress placed flat on the floor of his home.
On Sunday August 12, Gildharie, his wife Claire Daniels, 35, and their two-year-old son Alex boarded minibus BHH 6103 to go to the Suddie Hospital to visit Gildharie’s ailing father. While travelling, the driver of the minibus, Vincent Persaud, collided with motorcar PPP 733 which, was at the time being driven by Deon ‘Junior’ Ramroop, the stepson of businessman Rupan ‘Fowl Cock’ Ramroop. Both drivers subsequently died.
On the day of the accident, Padmawattie ‘Rida’ Kumarie, 34, succumbed to injuries she sustained in the collision. She and her husband, three children and nephew were also travelling in the minibus.
Gildharie and his wife, of Charity, Essequibo, were discharged from the Georgetown Public Hospital on August 18 and the baby later joined them on August 27. They are all currently staying at a relative’s home in Georgetown while nursing their injuries.
The man explained that he sustained injuries to both legs and his right shoulder, while his wife had her right leg broken in three places and her left leg broken in one place. Both the man and woman are bedridden since their legs are in casts. Daniels also lost her unborn baby as a result of the accident.
The couple’s son, who suffered injuries to his legs and abdominal area, had his legs fully cast, causing a great extent of discomfort. The toddler is unable to move and was seen lying down, crying uncontrollably.
His mother, who was at the time resting on a bed a short distance away, told this newspaper that it causes her much grief knowing that she is unable to comfort her child at a time like this, since she too is bedridden. The baby’s grandmother made her best effort to console the child but only the father proved to have this ability since it was only when he was placed to lie next to him that the crying subsided. “Whole day this is how he is crying and I can’t go and help him. I does feel at ease when they come and put him to lie down next to me but he is very uncomfortable,” Daniels said.
She explained that it’s almost one month that her legs have been in casts, which doctors have said will have to remain for at least three months.
However, it will take about six months before she will be able to walk with the support of crutches, she said.
Gildharie, a carpenter, said that he would be thankful for any support persons are able to provide, since he is completely unable at this time to provide for himself and his family. “I’ll be glad to get some assistance, especially for a wheelchair so I can move around and help my wife and gaff with her and things like that,” he said.
Anybody wishing to offer this family any form of support can contact Alan Gildharie on telephone number 673-1736.
He said that the staff of the Georgetown Public Hospital has been extremely helpful, with one nurse even offering to visit their home to change the dressing of their wounds. “They give us a paper to go to the nearest health centre but our condition is so bad… when my wife make a simple move it paining much less to put her through all that to travel to the hospital so we are thankful that the nurse is coming here,” he said.
Gildharie said he is scheduled to have an x-ray done on his legs next three weeks before he knows how much improvement there has been and how much longer he will be unable to walk.
“Is my father we been going and see at the Suddie hospital when this thing happen. He swell fat, fat and the doctors there don’t know exactly what is wrong with him… I tell my wife the Sunday leh we cook up
something and carry for him now look what end up happening to us. My mother had to end up leaving him there at Suddie and come to Georgetown to help us out,” Gildharie added.
