Father and son struggle

VALDEEN SHEARS

THE father of an 11-year-old boy who is living with epilepsy has asked Newsday to highlight his plight, after he lost all his belongings in the floods. Aaron St John, a resident of Oropune Gardens said he smiled when he heard that ministry officials were in his community, a second time to distribute disaster cheques on Tuesday.

Residents first started getting their grants on October 26 at the Piarco post office and again at the Oropune Police Youth Club on October 27.

However, St John, who visited the club with his wheelchair bound son Jaden, was one of the few persons whose grant was not yet processed.

The delay has left the single-father frustrated, as the flood came on the heels of a month-long stay at the Mt Hope Children’s Hospital, where his son was put into an induced coma, so doctors could treat his seizures.

Jaden who loves coloring, drawing and video games had to stop school because his seizures are so violent other students got scared. St John now has to wheel his son around, as he remains too weak to walk after recently being discharged from the hospital.

“We lost everything and I can’t even work. It’s been three years of living like this. I am all he has...he is all I have. His mom suffered nervous breakdowns and left us. I take care of him as best I can. I recently started getting some assistance from the government, but I want to work.

“If I get something that takes me away from him four or five hours a day and someone who can handle taking care of him, I can improve how we live. I won’t lie...things real hard right now,” said St John. The worried father said his son only has a pair of rubber slippers for his feet and very few clothing to wear since the floods.

Ministry official Brenda McCree-Hunte said she would look into St John’s claim, but assured if he was assessed one would be processed for him. Even as she was giving that assurance, another resident said she had been assessed that same morning.

McCree-Hunte and her co-workers looked through several lists for St John’s name as well as a few others who are yet to receive grants. Relatives of St John’s neighbor Ann Roberts, said they too have yet to receive any cash relief, even as others have since collected two cheques, in some instances.

Close to 300 cheques, McCree-Hunte said, have since been distributed in Oropune. Cheque distribution began last week Friday at the Arima Velodrome for residents of Greenvale; as well as at the Las Lomas Primary School for flood victims of Kelly Village and St Helena.

Anyone wishing to assist St John and his son can contact the Leader of the Police Youth Club Ag Cp Kevin Greenidge at 384-8256.