Doctors have declared that Reaz Shaw, the teen who is now bedridden after he was critically injured in last month’s hit-and-run accident along the Annandale, East Coast Demerara (ECD) Public Road, would need extensive physiotherapy sessions in order for him to recover.
The accident, which occurred on Sunday, December 9, claimed the life of 15-year-old Khemraj, called ‘Ajay,’ a horse cart operator of Lot 44 Annandale West, ECD.
Shaw, a trainee mechanic of Lot 35 Annandale West, was critically injured. He was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit of the Georgetown Public Hospital and subsequently moved to the High Dependency Unit (HDU) prior to his discharge about two weeks ago.
He is currently at home being cared for by his parents. He cannot move, speak, or eat on his own and has to be fed through a tube.
“Them (doctors) seh he need plenty therapy cause right now the blood nah get fah circulate at the whole body so he (Reaz) gah geh therapy fah it circulate, fah raise the nerves up back,” Yacoob Shaw, the teen’s father yesterday told Stabroek News.
The elder Shaw explained that his main focus presently is to get his son back on his feet.
He said he has since been attending clinic regularly with Reaz. On the last occasion, Yacoob said he was given tomorrow’s date to take Reaz to the Palms to receive physiotherapy.
In the meantime, he said he has been trying to arrange for someone to visit his home to undertake the sessions.
To date, he said he has reached out to several therapists, two of whom have given their promises. “Me seh man, in the meantime me can see something at least he (Reaz) guh slack up you know before he guh the Palms,” Yacoob said.
Stabroek New had previously reported that at the time of the accident, the police had said that the teenagers had ridden out of a northern access road onto the public road, when a white Toyota ‘Pitbull’ minibus, which was proceeding east along the northern carriageway of the said road, collided with the bicycle.
As a result, both teens fell on the roadway and sustained head injuries.
A few days after the accident, a minibus, which is suspected to be the vehicle used in the accident, was impounded after it was found covered in a yard at Mon Repos, ECD.
A woman who occupied the premises, was taken into custody, and she provided the police with an identification and address of a man suspected to be the driver.
However, the man, who is said to be a Chinese businessman of Vigilance, ECD, is yet to be apprehended. It is suspected that he has fled to neighbouring Suriname.
The accident was recorded by nearby surveillance cameras, which showed that the teens were struck from behind.
Attorney James Bond, who is representing the Chinese Association of Guyana, has approached the families, offering a quantity of cash in remorse over the incident, but the money had been refused.
Bond had previously told Stabroek News that the money is not being offered to settle the matter but rather out of remorse. This, he had also said, would not interfere with the usual investigation of the matter.
However, while the parents of both of the teens had previously hinted at accepting compensation/settling the matter, they have not yet done so.
Yacoob told this newspaper that he met with Bond over the weekend and requested that he place that aspect of the matter on hold since they are not offering more than $3 million and he is not ready to accept that amount.
“Me tell am (Bond) leh he hold on until lil bit more. Meh tell am leh Reaz catch he self lil bit more and then abe guh talk about anything,” Yacoob said.
Yacoob is positive that Reaz will recover but the process will be a timely one.
He said he has been receiving assistance from members of the public, which he continues to welcome.
Anyone wishing to assist Reaz in any form can contact Yacoob on telephone numbers 220-9189 or 659-8822.
