Granny stays strong for family

Speaking to Sunday Newsday from her hospital bed at the Eric Williams Medical Science Complex (EW MSC)in Mt Hope, Cuffie recalled that her son, Christon, wanted to visit some family on Divali night.

He was driving with his wife in the passenger seat, while Cuffie was in the back seat with her two grandchildren, ages six years and six months. They were in Las Lomas, looking at the lights when a scratch bomb flew through the back window and landed near the baby.

Cuffie grabbed for the bomb to throw it out the window but it exploded in her hands.

“It was reflex. I prefer that I get it than the children get it even though I am in so much pain. I still thank God that it was not my life and it was just my hands,” said the mother of four and grandmother of four from Talparo.

“All I was seeing was blood and I was in so much pain that I was screaming. I saw my inside flesh and bones on one hand... it was really horrific. The whole time I was thinking, ‘Oh God don’t let me lose my hand,’” she said.

She said they first went to the Las Lomas Police Station hoping to get an escort to the hospital because of the heavy traffic on the roads that night. However, she said, after being questioned, the police told them only two officers were at the station so they could not escort them to the hospital.

Instead, the police suggested she go to the nearest health centre.

She told her son to drive straight to the EW MSC, not to stop for any traffic lights, to drive on the shoulder, and to stop by any police vehicle he saw.

They met a police vehicle by the Macoya traffic lights and she was transferred to the police vehicle and taken to the hospital.

Cuffie’s daughter, who was at her bedside yesterday, said when she arrived at Accident and Emergency, her mother’s hands were wrapped but blood was dripping onto the floor. Cuffie is diabetic and some of her fingers were turning blue.

She said she spoke to a doctor, who refused to check on Cuffie, and who told her the emergency doctor would see her whenever he returned.

Cuffie noted there were more than ten persons with hand and face injuries due to sc ratch bombs.

In Cuffie’s case, the top of her index and middle fingers were blown off, and there were burns along the rest of her fingers on her right hand. On her left hand, the skin on her index finger was ripped off from finger tip to mid-palm, down to the bone, and the top of her thumb was missing.

She said the doctors stitched what they could and dresses her hands every day. She is also on antibiotics and painkillers. In addition, because she is diabetic, the doctors want to wait and see how she heals before a decision can be made on amputation of her fingers, having skin grafts done, and reconstructive surgery.

However, there have been slight improvements because yesterday some of the bandages on the more minor burns were removed.

Cuffie said she realised she had to be strong for her children and so she tries to be brave. “When I think about how I can’t eat for myself, I have to wait on somebody to come to clean me, I have to wear adult diapers, which are expensive...

I am a Christmas person, I look forward to buying nice things but now I have to just be there, doing nothing...

I am accustomed being an independent person and being up and about. It’s frustrating.

When I’m by myself I cry,” she said as tears ran down her face.

However, Cuffie thanked the nurses for their kindness and care, and for allowing her husband to stay and help her even after visiting hours were over.