A girl whose only wish was to be able to spend the holidays with her mother died on Christmas Day following a tragic accident at the Berbice orphanage where she was staying.
Neena Blair, 8, and two of her siblings were staying at the Alpha Children’s Home at Lot 34 Gay Park, Greater New Amsterdam after their mother encountered various difficulties and was recently released from prison. The mother, Venus Lalloo, had been expected to visit the Alpha home on December 24th for the birthday of one of Neena’s sisters but at the time that Stabroek News visited she had not yet turned up. Neena was fatally injured later in the day at the orphanage and died on Christmas Day at the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPHC).
Founder of the home, Esther Bruyning when contacted yesterday confirmed to Stabroek News that the accident occurred on Saturday afternoon. Bruyning, who was too distraught to disclose much information, stated that Blair succumbed to her injuries at the GPHC early Christmas morning.
Stabroek News has learnt that Blair was playing in the yard, when one of the teen orphans jumped into a car, which belonged to the Alpha Home. According to the information received, the car key was in the ignition for some time and that the car was expected to be taken to a mechanic after the holidays for the key to be extricated. Stabroek News was told that the teen started the car and instead of applying the brakes, the seventeen year old pressed the accelerator which resulted in him slamming into a stump wall, which then fell on Blair.
The eight-year-old was rushed to the New Amsterdam Public Hospital with severe head injuries and was later transferred to the GPHC where she succumbed.
A police source told Stabroek News that the teen is currently in custody at the Central Police Station in New Amsterdam assisting with the investigation.
Blair who graced the earth with her presence some eight years ago had had a tough life being in and out of the orphanage. While many would have enjoyed their Christmas surrounded by their loved ones in their home, she was spending it at a children’s home with two of her sisters and their only wish was to have their mother with them.
Their mother, also known as ‘Anita’, of Edinburgh Village, East Bank Berbice, was recently released from prison. At the beginning of December, following a trial at the New Amsterdam Magistrate’s Court, Lalloo was found guilty of three counts of child neglect.
The court fined Lalloo $100,000 on each charge, a total of $300,000. Initially, Lalloo was unable to raise the total sum, and opted to serve the alternative sentence, which is six months imprisonment. However, three days after she commenced serving her sentence, her fine was paid in full by a government official.
Her relatives told Stabroek News that Lalloo should have considered that person to be her angel.
Relatives said she was released from prison and was provided with a supply of groceries. However, Lalloo never visited any of her children and didn’t offer them anything. They further stated that the person who paid her fine did so with the best of intentions, and probably thought that she would have taken over the responsibility for her children. But Lalloo left prison with the groceries and proceeded home, without checking to see where her children were staying, and if they needed her help.
The Alpha Children’s Home has been functioning for over twenty-five years now, Berbicians over those years have described the home as one of the best in Region Six, because of their unique way of caring for children.
The home now has a total of thirteen children.
