Jesse Ramdeo
An Aripero family is making a desperate appeal for assistance to improve the quality of life of their 12-year-old child.
Niketa Sabazan said her son, who has been left crippled after a brain injury, is in urgent need of special care.
Guardian Media visited the family on Wednesday and saw Dominic Reyes being taken through the family’s wooden dwelling in the arms of his stepfather, Rishinath Partap.
Partap’s arms have been both the carriage and cradle for Dominic, who is unable to walk or speak.
Sabazan said for nearly all of her son’s life, he has been handicapped.
She said, “When Dominic was three months old he got a fever, it worsened and we were unfortunately not able to rush him to hospital in time. By the time he was attended to by doctors, they said he had suffered brain damage.”
As the Aripero family grapples with poverty, Sabazan explained that Dominic’s fighting chance was slipping from her grasp.
“He needs therapy, he needs a wheelchair, he needs a person who could see about him properly and if you can’t see about him properly, he will get worse,” she said.
The mother of seven lamented that circumstances, coupled with her son’s condition, have culminated in a point of hopelessness.
“It is very difficult because he have to go therapy so much. I made two appointments already but it is the distance, plus we have no transport, it’s quite in Mt Hope and I have to be missing the appointments right through to carry him to therapy,” she said.
While others see pain, Sabazan said she sees a reason to smile in her son’s face.
“He is full of energy; he does crawl and move around. You can’t put down nothing nowhere, he does pull down every single living thing. He very strong for a disabled boy, he very strong.”
Sabazan said of all the things her family can ask for, a wheelchair will be the most beneficial to her little boy and even as they attempt to go over and beyond to secure the device, their hurdles seem insurmountable.
“It is my job and my duty to make sure he get everything that he wants. I have to do my best, I want the best for all my children but this boy is special and he needs whatever little help he can get.”
Anyone wishing to help the family can call 461-6763.
