(Trinidad Express) Reanna Ashley Gobadan, who was left with serious injuries when she was struck by a vehicle in August, has returned home to continue her long road to recovery.
Her condition has improved, relatives were told, but Gobadan will need to undergo intense therapy and doctors are uncertain she will walk again.
Gobadan and her mother, Jameena Chaitan, were attempting to cross the road near their Grand Lagoon in Mayaro when she was hit by a panel van.
The impact has left Gobadan with multiple broken bones— shoulder, ribs, pelvic bone, fractured spine, and head injuries.
Her mother says the family was now preparing long-term care for Gobadan.
In a text message exchange, Gobadan said she was thankful to everyone for the outpouring of love and support.
She wrote, “It is good to be back. Thanks to everyone, it was generous of them.”
Chaitan, in a telephone interview on Monday, said her daughter did not remember the tragic accident and some parts of her past. “She knows I am her mother and she remembers her brothers but she did not remember the accident and she would ask all the time for someone to tell her what happened and why she was like this,” she said.
A relative showed Gobadan a video of the incident captured on surveillance camera near the scene.
“She started shaking and panicking and I stopped her from watching it. It was too much for her,” her mother said.
Chaitan said the family was unable to afford more than one session of physical therapy a week and she was trying to help her daughter on her own.
The family’s home, she said, was located in a remote area and it was difficult to get her daughter out of the house.
“We have a bridge to cross so the taxi will drop us on the road and her brother will lift her across. We have a property near the main road but it is in disrepair and we are hoping to find a way to fix a room and bathroom there to take her. It will be easier for her,” she said.
Chaitan said her daughter moves around in a borrowed wheelchair.
“I want her to be able to walk again and to get back to her normal life. It is a difficult job but I will do this for my child,” she said.
Gobadan, a self-employed graphic designer, was treated for almost two months in the intensive care unit at Sangre Grande Hospital.
Chaitan said she visited her daughter everyday praying for a miracle.
“I was not hurt in the accident but I cannot get that image out of my mind. I saw the entire thing happen. I could not lose my daughter and I encouraged her to fight for life,” she said.
Relatives are now trying to raise funds to assist Gobadan’s family with house repairs and medical expenses.
Gobadan is not married and has no children.
Chaitan said her daughter is ambitious and brave. “And I will continue to work to help my daughter to achieve the future she always wanted,” the mother said.
Anyone willing to assist the family can make contact at 270-8852.