People’s National Movement (PNM) operations officer Irene Hinds, whose daughter died hours after surgery, made an impassioned plea, yesterday, for the death of her daughter not to be in vain and that it be the last C-section death in this country.
Hinds was speaking at the funeral of her daughter, Kellane, 34, who died on Monday, hours after the surgery at the Port-of-Spain General Hospital.
Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley, his wife Sharon, and other government ministers were present at the funeral to lend support.
Standing in front of a scene depicting photos of a beaming Kellane during the final stages of her pregnancy, Irene Hinds spoke lovingly of her daughter whom she described as the perfect mother to her seven-year-old daughter Kimora, a Standard Two pupil of Mucurapo Girls’ RC School.
“We were all supposed to wear red for that photo shoot when Kellane was pregnant but for some reason, only known to her, she changed the colour to white,” Hinds told the packed congregation as mourners, at the Holiness Revival Ministries, Woodbrook, also wore white in tribute to Kellane.
The young Cocorite mother would have celebrated her 35th birthday next month.
She gave birth to a healthy, nine-pound baby boy, Kadon.
“My Kellane’s death must be the last C-section death,” Hinds said.
Kellane was admitted to the hospital around 8 pm on Sunday and around 6 am the following morning she was scheduled for the operation.
Hinds said while she was in her bed praying for her daughter on Sunday night she heard her dog howling.
“I said my prayers and when I went to bed I heard the dog howling. I said to myself that can’t be for Kellane because Kellane going to do a simple Caesarean section,” Hinds recalled.
As fate would have it Kellane died mere hours after the operation.
In lauding her daughter’s numerous achievements, Hinds said Kellane was a “leader in all aspects of her life” and excelled in every field in school, including dance, pan, netball and drama.
She added that at one time her daughter had aspired to be either a policewoman or a fire officer.
Camille Robinson-Regis, Minister of Planning and Development, who was also present fought back tears as she bid her final farewell to a woman well loved in the Cocorite community.
Robinson-Regis said it was especially hurtful that Kellane would never experience the joy of holding her baby son.
“Her death has certainly bewildered us and thrown us into grief and we are now left with the question—Why? Her passing has left us a void not only in her blood family but in our lives too,” Robinson-Regis said, adding that she was fortunate to see Kellane grow up in the party.
She also gave Hinds the assurance that her grandchildren would not be neglected by the PNM as they would be assisted in every way possible.
“Because it was the PNM village that assisted you in raising Kellane. No task will be too difficult for us to bear. We give you the assurance that just as you have been present for us, helping us to carry on through extremely difficult times, we too will be present for you. We know that Kellane’s death is especially sad for you Irene because as parents we never expect to bury our children.
“Rather we expect that our children bury us,” Robinson-Regis added.
Kellane was laid to rest at the Lapeyrouse Cemetery in Port-of-Spain.