My son desperately needs liver transplant

THE EDITOR: Please publish this letter for the attention of His Excellency Prof Maxwell Richards, The Honourable Prime Minister Mr Patrick Manning, Minister of Health Mr John Rahael, Minister of Education Ms Hazel Manning, Minister of National Housing Dr Keith Rowley. Good morning Sir/Madam, I am a citizen of Trinidad and Tobago and I believe it is my right to speak out on my behalf because if I don’t, no one will do it for me. I have lived in this country all of my life and I am totally disappointed and saddened by the assistance that was given to me by the government of Trinidad and Tobago, which to date has been none.

I am assuming that none of you saw the articles on the various newspapers or saw none of the television interviews that I went on, or even heard someone talking by the way about Omari Williams who needs a liver transplant. If this is so then it is even sadder that you do not know what is happening in your country or maybe not interested in the little people like me until election time, or you only know when it affects you or someone that concerns you personally. I am disappointed that I have to write this strong worded letter to get you to open your hearts to my situation. My name is Sandra Elias. I live at 16 Ameerali Avenue, Lawrence Park, Arima. You can contact me at 664-1968 or 678-4439. I hope one of you have the courage or even care enough to speak to me personally and hear what I have to say. I’ve often heard public officials say that they care about the small man and that we are all brothers and sisters.

Here is your opportunity to prove these are not just campaign promises. The sole purpose of this letter is to seek assistance that I desperately need in this life and death situation from the government. I have smiled through the pain of my son being ill for eleven years now. I intend to fight to save his life and to make everyone know our pain and frustration. I am only asking for what is rightfully mine as a citizen of this country, and to be a voice for struggling people like me. The health care system has abused me for years. Through the entire illness of my son, no doctor from Port-of-Spain Hospital, Mt Hope Hospital, Sangre Grande Hospital and some private medical institutions was ever able to diagnose what was wrong with Omari. The health care system in this country has failed me and many others to the point that I am afraid of the public health care system. His body has deteriorated to the point that he will die if he does not get a liver transplant that is costing us $150,000 US dollars. I cannot afford the medicine to keep my son alive. Where is the Minister of Health Mr John Rahael?

I cannot remember the number of times I have had to move taking my children from one area to the next, because I do not own a home and the cost to rent a house is extremely high for a single mother of four. Every form that the National Housing Authority has put out I have completed and sent in for the past ten years whether for a house or land — no response, no assistance — I am still waiting for a house. Yet there are people with two and three NHA houses that they are not living in and are renting them out because somebody knows somebody who knows somebody. I guess no one cares about the struggling single mothers. Unless you do not get on TV6 bawling and pulling your hair out and embarrassing yourself before the entire nation, the government does not address your issues. I have to move again by the end of September, where will I go? Where is the Minister of National Housing Dr Keith Rowley?

My mother always said that God does not give you more than you can bear, and you have to work hard for whatever you want. I have worked hard and I am still willing to work if I am given the opportunity to do what I am most qualified for and where I believe I can assist. I cannot afford to be out of a job, but as it stands right now my three year contract with Service Commission  will end on August 23, 2004. My contract is not being renewed, I will be out of a job. I have been seeking employment as a Guidance Counselor with the Ministry of Education because I have the training and the experience of working with young adults. I do not have a degree, but after teaching at Servol for seven years doing the Adolescent Development Programme and attaining certificates from UWI School of Continuing Studies in Counseling and Child Psychology, I believe I have the ability to work with and help some of the young people in this country. I have applied on several occasions and I have been ignored. Where is the Minister of Education Mrs Hazel Manning?

I have done all that I can do as a single parent of four children. I have worked hard, sent my children to school and looked after them like any other parent should, but not all parents have been through what I have, and managed to smile through it to keep my children strong. I know for sure that I am not the only person in this situation but right now I am fighting for me and the life of my child. What I have written here is just a fraction of what I have been through, and I believe I deserve to be seen and heard by my Prime Minister and my President. My son is brilliant, yet he may never get the opportunity to do anything that he would like to do. No parent should ever have to live through the horror of out-living their children when the means of saving their lives are available. People like me deserve better than we are getting in this country; we are being left by the wayside, our children are dying from sickness and poverty.

Our young people are killing other people and each other to survive because we feel like no one cares about who we are as citizens. What will it take for someone somewhere, somehow to do something to help us. I am one voice, one mother; think about the other voices that are not being heard, that do not know how to do what I am doing now, what is to become of them? The future of this country is in the hands of our youths; if they die or become disillusioned then you have failed as leaders. Stop letting our children die in our hospitals. Do something about the rate of rent in this country. Give our children someone to talk to in school if they cannot get it at home. Listen to the people who need you more than those who use you, because we to belong to this country. Where is the Prime Minister Mr Patrick Manning and the President Prof Maxwell Richards?

SANDRA ELIAS
Arima