| ‘Lady Hilda’….Some know her from her appearances on the karaoke circuit, others for her insightful poetry, but Norma James wants to be mainly remembered as a humanitarian and a guardian of the elderly,White NFL Jerseys Cheap, the destitute,cheap nfl jerseys sale, the abandoned, and the downtrodden.Ms. James, popularly known as ‘Lady Hilda’, has spent the past 10 years taking care of inmates at the East La Penitence Night Shelter.To others,Cheap NFL Jerseys China, this is merely a job and a chore; to her, it’s a labour of love.“Lots of destitute people come here; some are very sick and bedridden; they are the ones who are mostly abandoned by their families. They are from all races; they are young, old and middle-aged; they are from the highest to the lowest (in society); what you could call a ‘cook-up with all the obstacles.”“My hours at work (at the Night Shelter) are all hours and every hour. I go even when I am not on duty.”The dedicated Night Shelter orderly says that her concern for the less fortunate is linked to two factors; one good, the other traumatic.“I grew up with grandparents who taught me all the good qualities of life. I was loved and well taken care of. I also had a mother who suffered from Alzheimer’s disease. She was extremely difficult to deal with. So, I had practical experience.“I feel that the elderly are not respected and cared for as they should be and I am happy to do what I can to help.”Before this, she was one of the early city vendors, plying her trade in the Stabroek Market area.Even then, she would reach out to the mentally ill and the homeless.Around 2007, she began working as an orderly at the Ministry of Human Services Night Shelter,China NFL Jerseys, located in Arapaima Street, East La Penitence. When patients from the Shelter were transferred to the Palms, ‘Lady Hilda’ also began doing voluntary service there.“I used to do voluntary service there until the Administrator died. I commend the staff at the Palms for the work that they do.”In 2007 and later in 2011, determined to enhance her knowledge and ensure that she gave her patients the best professional care, Ms. James took two courses through the American Association for Retired Persons (AARP) in Geriatric Care.“I can take care of persons under a bottom house or in the most sophisticated hospital. I take care of no less than six bed-ridden patients a day…from cancer to blindness to Alzheimer’s disease. Many of the patients with Alzheimer’s don’t know their own names, some are half-blind. You can’t ask them about their relatives because they get agitated.”One of the things she does well is massaging infirm patients. Under her caring hands, many of the patients have shown remarkable improvement and are gainfully employed.“Some come in crippled and can walk now, through my administration of massage and talking to them. Some come in deeply depressed but improve through talking to them and taking care of them. I work without any equipment, but the reward is seeing people who came in unable to walk and are now walking; people who came in with deep depression and are now back in society.”Although the Night Shelter provides meals, she would occasionally provide her charges with delicacies to supplement their meals.Feeding one of her patients“A little love goes a long way.”One of her greatest rewards is the chance meetings she occasionally has with former inmates that she has helped.“ I would meet people that I don’t even remember, they would come and make themselves known to me; for instance some would say ‘You can’t remember me? I had TB and you used to look after me.’ I remember one day I was going to pay a bus driver and he said ‘as long as I drive you must not pay.’ I asked: ‘You know me?’ and he said ‘remember that nice corn meal porridge that you used to make for me?’”But her love for the ailing is not confined to the Palms or the Night Shelter. During the lengthy 1999 Public Service strike, when staff at the Georgetown Public Hospital also downed tools, leaving many patients unattended, she volunteered her services “from the day it started to the day it ended.”Her hope is that there will be improved facilities in the future for the destitute.But she is upset that many of the inmates at the Shelter are individuals whose families have abandoned them.“People should find some way to keep their sick and elderly relatives. They could take turns in taking care of elderly relatives, especially if they are helpless and blind. Don’t dump them into homes, especially those that are blind and bed-fast. It’s a blessing to take care of the elderly. Don’t let someone else other than a family member,Jerseys NFL China, take that blessing.”Regarding patients with mental conditions like Alzheimer’s, she advises that “you must look beyond the behavior because they can’t help themselves.”The multi-talented ‘Lady Hilda’ is also known at karaoke events, and for her poetry, all of which she has composed. She was a consecutive winner of poetry competitions held at the Upscale Restaurant. She also creates African wear and accessories, as well as wall plaques for any occasion.Deeply spiritual in her own way, she is a member of a number of humanitarian organizations, such as Science for Spirituality, the World Peace Federation and the Ananda Marga organisation.Ms. Norma James, popularly known as ‘Lady Hilda’ tends to a visually impaired inmate“They all deal with selfless service and peace. This is my focus in life. My aim is to do something useful in society. I choose to do what I do. I am good at what I am doing,NFL Jerseys China, and I am happy doing what I am doing. “I would not be dictated to as to who I must look after, whether race or creed. We are all God’s children.” |
