Help pours in for Oropune father

Valdeen Shears

AARON St John breathed a sigh of relief when his home, which was flooded out on October 19, was assessed on Monday.

However, St John, the single-father of 11-year-old, Jaden St John, who has lived with epileptic seizures for the last three years, is lamenting the unavailability of his son’s monthly disability grant.

“This is only the second month we getting it since it started back after waiting eight months for it to be processed. He hadn’t been getting it for two years, according to his mom. I thought he was, because I was working with the Ministry of Agriculture during the early days when he first fell sick, and she was seeing to that, only to hear that he was not getting any at all.

“When she got her nervous breakdown and left us, I knew I had to do what I could to get it back for him..we rely heavily on it, as I cannot work a full time job and take care of Jaden. I am all he has and not getting that grant this month has left us in one predicament,” said a visibly frustrated St John.

St John’s story was first highlighted, last week, when he visited the Oropune Police Youth Club to access flood relief cheques, distributed by officials from the Ministry of Social Development and Family Services.

Unfortunately, he was told that there were no grants processed in his name and that his matter would be looked into.

Leader of the club, Ag Cpl Kevin Greenidge, said he has since received several calls from persons wishing to assist the family.

When Newsday visited St John’s home on Saturday, the floors were caked with a thick brown coat of slush from the floodwaters, which had filled the lower level of his townhouse.

Keisha Aguillera, agent for Guardian Life, which has been working alongside the police youth club to assist flood affected families, presented St John with clothing items for Jaden.

On Monday morning the floors were power washed by Trevlon Aguillera of Agui’s Auto Grooming, Oropune Gardens.

“As a resident, I would really like to give special thanks to all the different entities, companies, individuals who came together to assist and bring relief to my neighbors and friends,” she said.

Sisters, Kathrine and Lassivanica Innis, president and treasurer of the ngo, REACH Foundation for Social Development in collaboration with the JMMB Investment, Trinidad and Tobago, also visited to assess what the duo would be most in need of.

The pair said they would be seeking sponsorship for Jaden’s medications, which St John said are costly.

On Saturday, St John wheeled his son down to the youth club on 6th Avenue, one of the areas hard hit by the floods, to receive counselling hosted by the Seventh Day Adventist Church, Tacarigua.

Dr Edward Clarke, Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences, University of the Southern Caribbean, spoke of his own experience surviving a hurricane and living in a shelter. He advised residents to pray and speak out about their feelings of loss and trauma with loved ones.

The following day the community was visited by members of the Covenant House of Praise, Henry Street, Port of Spain. Residents were addressed by its pastor, Justin Smith, and hampers and food were given out.