Tuesday, May 12, 2020

Staying human despite Covid


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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