by Jean Lowrie-Chin
Jamaica Observer column published 4 May 2020
 |
| Jayson-Lee Lyon-Dennis |
Young Jayson-Lee
Lyon-Dennis was heading home two Saturdays ago when he saw an elderly woman
wandering on the road. We will call her Ms G. He stopped to see if he could
help her and she pointed to a house where she said she lived. It turned out
that Ms G was “cotching” on a porch, having been turned out some time before
from a place she had rented. It seemed to this Good Samaritan that she was
suffering from dementia and was malnourished. He knew the kind Dr Haughton from
his neighbourhood and asked her if she would give Ms G a check-up. The Doctor
said she had bi-lateral pneumonia.
I know this
because Jayson-Lee had linked me and several others on Twitter, asking how this
lady could be helped, and sent me updates via direct message (DMs). He was in
touch also with a connection to see if he could get her into an infirmary.
Jayson-Lee shared photos
privately so I could see how emaciated she looked and her pitiful surroundings.
I tried the various emergency numbers and finally got connected to KPH, but
they had no ambulance. Jayson gave me a number for Ms G’s son and wished me
luck when I said I would call. The man was rude, saying he ‘nuh business’ and
eventually hung up on me.
As we worked our
contacts, 35-year-old Jayson took meals for this stranger over the weekend, and
even got a friend to take her lunch when he was at work. I reached out to the
dedicated Cassandra Morrison, head of the National Council for Senior Citizens
and she was able to organise an ambulance to take Ms G to KPH. Jayson-Lee kept
in touch with Dr Haughton so she could be on hand to accompany Ms G in the
ambulance and check her in at the hospital. KPH Senior Medical Officer Dr
Natalie Whylie could sense our concern and assured us that they would take care
of her. NCSC has been in touch with the KPH Social Worker and we are keeping
our fingers crossed that Ms G will be admitted in a Government infirmary.
They say that God
sends his angels in the most trying of times. Well, despite the uncaring
attitude of Ms G’s son, there was a Good Samaritan who rescued a sick,
disoriented octogenarian and stewarded her over several days, to safety. Bless you Jayson-Lee Lyon-Dennis!
Disrespecting
the Elderly
We hope that
Jayson’s compassion will inspire others. There have been cold-hearted comments
about the vulnerable elderly in this time of Covid. I understand that recently
a caller to Emily Shields on Hotline suggested that the elderly folks are
dispensable. Thank goodness, Emily who is a great advocate for older folks, put
the caller solidly in their place. Then
came more heartless posts on Friday when news broke on the 63-year-old woman
who became Jamaica’s 8th Covid fatality.
Journalist Damion
Mitchell hit back at them: ‘"Old
people" are humans too! Please, let's remember that someone calls them mom
or dad and they call someone mom or dad. My gosh! When did this happen?’, and
continued, ‘There have been increasingly inconsiderate, crass and unkind
comments about their vulnerability in this COVID time as though their
vulnerability cancels their value.”
Damion told me about
his inspiring mentor whom he calls “Auntie”, Miss Daisy Morgan – she is 104
years old and he speaks glowingly of his visits with her in Manchester. Last
Sunday I had a long conversation with my late Mom’s best friend, Mrs Josephine Lowe
who was celebrating her 103rd birthday. She is a fountain of love
and wisdom and my brother says if he ever misses listening to a cricket match,
he must call her because she always knows the score!
Emma Lewis shared a
HuffPost piece by 90-year-old artist Varda Yoran who wrote, “I’m not
disposable, and I’m saddened that there are people who think age dictates
whether a human life is worth saving.”
Townhall on
the vulnerable
Emily Shields hosted an enlightening Townhall on the topic “Covid 19 and
the Vulnerable” last Thursday on TVJ. We
are encouraged by Government’s focus on these members of our community, with
“Rona Hotlines”: for St Catherine, the helpline number
is 876-907-4056; the Ministry’s contact numbers in this regard are
876-618-8218, 876-879-8948, 876-879-8950.
Minister of Labour
and Social Services Shahine Robinson has been ever in the corner of our seniors.
Permanent Secretary Colette Roberts Risden said they had been in dialogue with
the Ministry of Finance and the Jamaica Bankers Association towards the
introduction of a ‘social bank account’ for seniors who are hard put to find the
required minimum deposits and banking fees.
Professor Denise
Eldemire Shearer reminded us that there are 320,000 Jamaicans over 60 with the
fastest growing cohort being the ones over 80. She says most of these folks are
independent and healthy. Many Jamaicans have been raised by vigorous
grandparents, so it is a mystery that the elderly is being disrespected.
Immunologist Dr
Yohan White shared that there were 32,000 Jamaicans who were HIV positive and
that it was important for them to protect their health during this pandemic, by
taking their daily medication.
Rosalie Gage Grey,
CEO of the Child & Protection Family Services Agency said staff members at
children’s homes were caring for a total of 5,000 charges, ensuring good
hygiene and nutrition. She and Mrs Roberts Risden both thanked private sector
donors for generous donations.
Grieving
for Jodian
My son comes to
visit and he reaches out to hug me, but I am afraid of this virus, so I step
back and blow him a kiss; he puts his hand on his heart, bows and chuckles
good-naturedly as he knows how much I love his hugs.
Tragically, the
bright, beautiful 23-year-old Jodian Fearon will never receive a hug from her
child. A horrific sequence of events triggered by fear of Covid, has deprived
her baby daughter of a mother who, from the comments and videos we have seen,
would have brought special joie-de-vivre to her life.
I had mentioned is last week’s column that
three hospitals would not accept Jodian, but in fact Andrews Memorial Hospital
(AMH) had checked her in and had agreed that Jodian’s surgery could proceed.
However, her Doctor stated on air that the planned anaesthetist was not willing
to participate as Jodian had Covid-like symptoms. He related that after Jodian
had been placed in an ambulance for transfer to the Spanish Town Hospital,
another anaesthesist had offered to assist at AMH, but he decided to proceed to
Spanish Town as arrangements had been made.
Now we are in this
“if only” phase and the brickbats are flying about. The very personal
information disclosed in media interviews are inappropriate, and I hope that
there will be justice for Jodian and her family, without any further public
exposition of the distressing details.
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