Teen carries granny to the beach

Public holidays provide a perfect opportunity for families to use the downtime together, renewing a bond that may fall on the wayside as they carry on through the often tedious daily routines. One Vistabella family was determined to ensure their matriarch was not left out of the Easter Monday public holiday fun at Vessigny Beach.

Encumbered by mobility issues Grace Douglas, 68, was lifted across several metres of shoreline into and out of the waters by her grandson Zion Callendar, 19.

It was not an issue for the young man because the entire beach day was for his grandmother.

"We bring grandma out to just breeze out, relax, let she get some fresh air and bathe in the salt water a little bit," Callendar told Newsday on April 21.

He said it has been over a year since Douglas last visited the beach. While Douglas' daughter, Suzana Callendar, 42, admitted the matriarch was not a fan of the beach, they hoped the ebb and flow of the waves could ease the pains in her legs.

Her other granddaughter, T'shai Vincent, 27, said once in the water, she helped Douglas to exercise her legs and hands and exfoliated her skin with the rough sand.

After her dip, Douglas' grandson lifted her out of the water and laid her on a towel and pillow under a shady almond tree.

After the beach, the family planned to treat Douglas to some KFC before returning home to prepare for the week ahead.

Douglas had difficulties speaking but summarised her visit as "good."

The family said Douglas' mobility issues began from an injury to her legs in a car accident several years ago but intensified recently as she was diagnosed with an overactive thyroid. One of the symptoms is muscle weakness.

Meanwhile, Janice Walker, 75, was pushing her seven and six-year-old grandsons on the swings as they came to spend the long weekend with her in San Fernando. The beach day wrapped a weekend of activity for Walker and her grandsons, as she said she took them to church and a concert.

She believes spending this time with them would help mould them into respectable young men.

"Children nowadays...they need love, care and nurturing to prevent them from going out there and making mischief."

She added: "Boys need plenty love. When you love them, they not going out there to be monsters to fight with people and do all kind of thing.

"So I think that's important. Nowadays parents, everybody busy out there, everybody have to work and all of that, so I don't know if they have enough time to spend with the little ones. We need that."

She believes parents and guardians need to follow her example to help make the country a better place.

Melissa Samaroo, 37, visited the beach with her husband, their two daughters, her sister with her two sons and her brother and his wife. They chose Vessigny because it was not a far drive from their Barrackpore home with the 2023 opening of the Archibald De Leon Highway. She said they always try to use the holiday as an opportunity to spend time with the children.

"We try to do different things. Sometimes we go to the pool, the parks and so on. This Easter Monday we decided to do this."