| For most people, birthdays are awaited with joyous anticipation of all the things to do, places to go and friends to see. But for a few, birthdays are sometimes awaited with much trepidation and anxiety, and even morbid thoughts of death.October 24, will mark the 32nd anniversary of Gavin Liverpool of Maxwell Alley, Christianburg,Nike Air Max 95 For Sale, but for this young man who two years ago this month sustained spinal injuries and subsequently lost the ability to walk, and to do all the other pleasurable things that young men enjoy, the day would not be one of celebration.Gavin LiverpoolInstead, Gavin says he’ll be preoccupied with thoughts of chalking up yet another year of confinement to his bed and wheel chair, and of how much longer he could endure the torture of paralysis with no help in sight.Ironically, Gavin, mere moments before his accident two years ago, had proudly struck a pose for this newspaper, and wanted to know whether he would be on the front page. Little did he know that he would indeed be featured in the newspaper, but never in his wildest dreams,Nike Air Max Tn Shoes Women, could he have envisioned how.Today, Gavin is not doing so well, and given his present physical condition, striking a pose for any reason is the last thing on his mind.Instead, he is preoccupied with thoughts of death, and how much longer he has to live, and why his employer cannot find it in his heart to help him, so that he could help his children.Not surprisingly, one of Gavin’s most important wishes for his birthday is to see the face of Mr Courtney Benn, the man who once employed him, and who he says ever since his accident, never once paid him a visit, or enquired after his well being.His second wish is for President Bharrat Jagdeo to pay him a visit, while on his sojourn to the mining town today. His third wish is to see Minister of Health, Dr Leslie Ramsammy,Cheap Nike Air Max 97 Shoes, who faithfully promised him that his Ministry would help him, a few days after the accident. To date nothing has come of that promise and Gavin is wondering why.He wants the Minister to personally tell him what happened to his promise, which was made in the presence of family members and this newspaper.Gavin is however still optimistic that one or both of these gentlemen could offer him some form of tangible assistance to help alleviate his current suffering.But mostly preoccupying Gavin’s thoughts these days is why an employer such as Courtney Benn would leave a disabled worker to fend for himself without lifting a finger to help.On the anniversary of his accident two days ago,Cheap NFL Jerseys China, Gavin bared his soul:“I’m a poor man and I have three children and no resources to take care of them. Their mothers are also not in a position to properly provide for them.I could die tomorrow, or anytime,Nike Free Run Shoes Clearance, but I need the reassurance from somewhere that my children would be taken care of.Since I get this accident nobody looking in my direction. I was on the job when I get injured, but yet my employer never even thought of giving me any kind of compensation. Is not that this man can’t afford it. And you know it is funny because these same people go in the media as these very good people giving out hampers to poor people at Christmas.“But what about me? I am poor,Cheap Air Jordan Shoes Wholesale, and paralyzed on top of that and I have to live; my children also have to live. What do they have to tell me, or give to me and my children? I need them to go to the media and tell me that, or better yet, come visit me and tell me how they plan to help me.”Gavin is in a fit of depression, as he daily watches his once strong muscular body wither away. Bed sores are now his constant companions, due to his immobility. He admits that all that is sustaining him is the love and support of his family.But his family is angry too, and has openly condemned what they consider to be the atrocious treatment meted out to Gavin by his employer.“I want to know if this man (Courtney Benn) really has a heart, I find it hard to believe that a successful businessman such as him would treat one of his former employees so shabbily. And what kind of person would tell family members that he prefers to pay lawyers before he pays Gavin a dime of compensation? This is unfathomable.”“The Minister of Labour had also promised to look into Gavin’s situation, but to date, nothing. So now we are left to think that when certain prominent people are involved in these situations, nothing happens,” a perturbed relative vented.Gavin Liverpool sustained spinal injuries after a long wooden plank fell on the back of his neck rendering him unconscious, while he was working on the Mackenzie/Wismar bridge.At the time he was employed with Courtney Benn Contracting Services which was engaged in carrying out rehabilitative works on the bridge.The plank was reportedly placed on top of a dragline to facilitate workers’ access to certain parts of the bridge.Gavin has never walked since. |
