Among those who have lost loved ones to COVID-19 this year is Minister of Public Works Juan Edghill, whose older sister, Patricia Cummings, succumbed while in hospital.
Cummings, 60, who was the country’s 143rd death, died last month.
“My sister was so scared of COVID. She wasn’t going anywhere,” said Edghill, who during an interview emphasised that the respiratory disease is real and that people need to take precautions.
Edghill noted that he and Cummings, grew up in a two-bedroom “mansion” that housed eight children and their parents. He said they lived in that house up until their parents separated, after which the siblings moved with their mother.
Edghill Cummings entered the world of work immediately after finishing school. She took up a position in the Guyana Police Force, the minister said, before adding that she eventually started her family and took up residence away from the family although prior to that she assisted with raising him and his other siblings.
Edghill learned from his niece, Cummings’ daughter, of his sister becoming COVID-19 positive. He said that the news came a little after she celebrated her 60th birthday.
Edghill said that his initial reaction to the information was concern for her wellbeing, especially given the seriousness of the disease. He recalled his niece calling early in the morning after they had taken her to the hospital. He said that he was told that she was experiencing shortness of breath at that time. However, because of COVID-19 restrictions, he was unable to see her but he was assured that she was provided with all the necessary facilities required at the Georgetown Public Hospital.
He said that his wife, his daughter and his niece were the main participants in ensuring that his sister was well taken care of. Additionally, there were telephone calls between him and his relatives as well as Cummings herself, so that he could be updated on her condition.
While Cummings was being hospitalised, Edghill and his family had to make many decisions to ensure that she would be safe and stay alive. One of those decisions was whether she should go on the ventilator or not.
The minister, overwhelmed by emotion, became teary eyed as he recalled making the decision. He said that he advised her to go on the ventilator although she requested that they wait for a day before resorting to the machine.
He said at this time she was already on oxygen support and continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), but she was not responding well. “Her oxygen level was very low,” he said.
“The big issue was that she wasn’t responding to the regular oxygen nor the CPAP… It was when we had to make the decision for the ventilator and she was not willing to go to the ventilator. She had asked for one day. That was her request, one day. The doctors consulted with me saying that one day would be too late. So, I had to talk to my mother and the rest of my sisters and her children and my brother who is here, and basically, we concluded that in her best interest, we would have to agree that she is not properly oriented because she wasn’t. Not to make a conscious decision on her own and to go to the ventilator,” Edghill explained. He said that he informed the medical personnel of their decision but by then he was told that she had already agreed. “She changed her mind”, but he said “we knew once she was going in that direction… she was sliding very fast… She never came off the ventilator,” he solemnly said.
Edghill explained that Cummings had diabetes and she became aware of it later in life. Due to her energetic demeanor, it went unnoticed. “We were convinced that the medical team tried their best and we were very appreciative of all they did,” the minister continued.
He said that Cummings was a Christian and that they all prayed for her to recover but that God had the final say. “God is sovereign, which means he has the right to rule and overrule. The sovereignty of God means he has the final say. That’s our position,” the minister said.
Following Cummings’ death, her daughter, who is a hospital worker, also tested positive.
Edghill said that as a minister, he has a commitment to the country and due to this commitment, he has been in the public. However, he said that while doing his duties, he follows the necessary protocols. He said that he has been handing our masks and sanitisers since March and since then he has continued to advise persons to follow the COVID-19 guidelines. Additionally, the minister has been tested three times and encourages others to also get tested if they think they have been exposed or are experiencing symptoms of the virus.
As for advice for persons celebrating Christmas, he said, “families have to be sensible and make the necessary adjustments”.
