Forty minutes after Seeta Boodram gave birth to her first child she died and baby Kyle was left in the care of his devastated father, Terrence Boodram. Boodram, an offshore chef, was married to Seeta for four years and still very much in love and was so traumatised by her sudden and tragic death he did not want to live anymore.
But his son gave him the reason to live, he said. Out of pain and tragedy was formed a bond between father and son so deep that today, 13 years later, they are inseparable.
Boodram, who has a black belt in martial arts and is the brother of former head of the National Operations Centre, retired major, Sarwan Boodram, gave up his job with Amoco and became a school bus driver so he could be with Kyle at all times. He said he would carry three-month old Kyle to work with him when he went to drop off and pick up schoolchildren because he had no one to take care of him.
Kyle, strapped into the middle front seat next to him, became a fixture on the school bus. Boodram said when he took his baby to the health clinic, he would be the only man in a roomful of women and they nicknamed him, Mr Mom. He devoted all his time and attention to his son’s upbringing, showering him with all the love and care he could give and his efforts were rewarded.
Kyle, always at the head of the class at Charlieville Presbyterian Primary he attended near his home, emerged as the top student in his school in the last Secondary Entrance Assessment examination, passing for Queen’s Royal College. At 13, he also has a brown belt in martial arts, one level below a black belt. “He has a lot of drive. I think he tries his best to please me.”
But the road wasn’t an easy one. Recalling the tragic start, Boodram said on January 20, 2003 his wife, 35 at the time, told him she would travel to the Port-of-Spain General Hospital to make her baby, that she was fine.
“Around that time, doctors were on strike and I remember seeing a lot of blood on the delivery table around her.
“She died 40 minutes after she gave birth to Kyle and the pathologist’s report later described it as an ‘unexplained maternal death.’”
Boodram is convinced his wife died due to negligence.
“I was a total wreck. My world came crashing down. Our child was not my main focus at that time and for three weeks was suicidal. I didn’t try to kill myself but I didn’t mind dying.
“Eventually, I got hold of myself and saw a reason to live, Kyle. I knew I had a responsibility to give him a good life and ensure he would be able to stand on his own two feet.”
Boodram said he quit his job to take care of the new-born baby. His grandmother, Girlie, helped me for a while, showing me the rituals, like how to massage him with oil and other things.” He took up Seeta’s job as a school bus driver to give him more flexibility with his time.
“When Kyle was three months, I started carrying him with me on the bus. When I took him to clinic the first year, I would be the only man sitting with my baby among all the women.
“They called me Mr Mom. When Kyle started pre-school, I spent the first day with him.”
Now, while his son is at QRC, Boodram cooks lunch so he will have a good meal when he comes home. In a photo album, Boodram carefully recorded his son’s 13-year history, from birthdays, to riding his first tricycle, to his first day at school.
“You see how that dog mauled that baby to death?” he said, referring to a recent incident in his neighbourhood, I never left Kyle alone when he was riding his tricycle outside. I was always nearby watching over him.”
And as early as possible, Boodram told his son the truth about his mother and what she was like.
“He just listens quietly. He does not seem affected by her absence but once when he was little he asked me to buy a mom for him the next time I go to the grocery.”
Boodram is grateful he never fell sick over the last 13 years. God is the source of my health. And He has used Kyle to bring joy and healing in my life.”