By Joseph Allen
“I feel lost, I feel like a hole in my heart now”, those were the words of Shavannie Gravesande, the mother of seven-month-old, Oriya Gravesande who died after falling ill at a day care in Ogle and was laid to rest yesterday.
In an atmosphere of sadness, tears and the reflection of the short memories left by little Oriya, family, friends and others gathered to bid their last farewell, as the toddler was laid to rest even as the investigation continues into her death.
Stabroek News spoke to the mother of Oriya about her loss.
“Going ahead from now, it’s hard, it’s difficult because you know carrying a child for nine months and didn’t even get to enjoy. Ok, all the hard parts the sleepless nights and now it’s time you get to enjoy the child, you know. It’s just painful how my child died”, Gravesande said.
“Last week Tuesday, which was a day like today, which is when I drop my daughter off at the day care, you know I got to be burying my child; a child who was never sick, you know. If she was sick, I would have accept the fact, you know but she was not sick. A jolly child.”
Last week Tuesday, the toddler from Success, East Coast Demerara was rushed to the Ogle Health Centre after experiencing shortness of breath and becoming unconscious just after midday.
After being rushed to the health centre, an ambulance was called to transport the toddler to the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPHC) due to her serious condition.
The ambulance took then took Oriya to the GPHC and she was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital.
At the time of the incident, it was noted by an official of the daycare that the toddler had a cold, which stymied her breathing.
Stabroek News later contacted the parents of the baby and it was explained that the child did have a cold but they do not believe that that was responsible for her death.
The family called for a full investigation into the matter. The autopsy on Oriya found that she died from haemorrhage and suffocation.
Little Learnings according to the owners has been in operation for past 27 years and this has been their first serious incident.
With questions, yet to be answered Gravesande said her daughter had a painful death and she is seeking justice.
“My child got a painful death. Only God knows but she got a painful death and the injuries to her neck should say it all… she was strangled, whether by a sheet or hand she was strangled. So, right now it’s not resting well with me right now….We don’t only need justice, somebody has to pay the penalty for what would have been done”, she said.
Gravesande noted that since the incident the day care operators has not conveyed any sympathy to her and her family.
“Nobody reached out to me and that the painful part you know. Alright, the deed is already done. The child is already gone but still but you know …(no sympathy) from the other side. Nobody reach out to us. So, it’s like they know what they have done and …”
Since the incident, several staff of the day care have been questioned.
The matter has also reached the desk of the Child Protection Agency and other agencies due to the serious nature of the incident.
Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Dr Vindhya Persaud noted that the day care was shut down immediately due to the serious nature of the matter and the fact that it had been operating without the required licensing.
