Cancer survivor Pyardevi Parasam, 63, has no choice but to make two daily trips to her brother’s home to take her insulin.
The medication has to be kept refrigerated, but her fridge was among several items destroyed in recent floods at her Woodland home.
She and her family fled to a relative’s house when flood waters began gushing inside their home at Mungal Trace#2 following torrential rainfall two weeks ago. Her other son Ramdeo who lives with his wife, ten-year-old son and three-year-old daughter in an adjoining house, also lost everything. Her other son, Ryan Parasram, a third year medical student and former scholarship winner, also lost his school books. Parasram also lived with her husband, Parasram Maharaj, 71, and her daughter Vissondaye, 40, who became blind in one eye and never fully recovered from a brain surgery to remove a tumour when she was 12. Her other sons Amrit and Ganesh also live there.
Yesterday, they received mattresses and bed frames during a flood relief drive organised by Indra Roopnarine from Touching A Life Foundation For Kids and Vijay Jaimungal from Spice Boys Foundation who were able to able to mobilise and collect items from over 20 businesses to help flood victims in south Trinidad.
Most of the Parasrams’ household articles and belongings were stacked up in the yard waiting to be sorted out. The damaged stuff will be dumped. As she tried to hold back the tears, Parasram said she doesn’t know where to start picking back up the pieces. She said the chemotherapy and radiation therapy three years ago was too much for her body.
“I have side effects like internal bleeding,” said Parasram who also suffers from high blood pressure.
She recalled the floods came up the day after Divali. “It was to my waist inside the house. We had to leave. Everything gone, beside the television and the stove.”
She said since the good Samaritans have been providing them with breakfast, lunch and dinner. “I borrow a mattress and sleeping on my bed. It break but someone come and weld it. I need help to get back things for my house,” she sobbed.
Ramdeo said, “We can’t keep anything, everything was under water for five days. The only thing we have gotten assistance with so far is food and we are grateful. But, financially I don’t know how I am going to get back everything,” he said.
Also receiving a bed and mattress was flood victim, Kavina Singh, 12, who lives close to the Parasrams and is physically challenged.
Singh, who suffers with a brain disorder, cannot speak. Expressing her gratitude to everyone who assisted them after their plight was aired on CNC 3, grandmother Devika Singh said they now want to donate some of the things they received.
Singh also said more needs to be done to help children like her granddaughter. “It is very difficult to deal with a child like this.You have to be with them 24/7.”
BUSINESSES WANT TO HELP
Roopnarine said she contacted Jaimungal after seeing the vast destruction first hand.
They received tremendous support from over 20 business people from San Fernando, Marabella and Chaguanas who were eager to help.
“We were here last week Sunday and what I saw I nearly cried. It have people with their whole house flooded out clean,” said Mungalsingh.
However, he said the corporate support was tremendous. He said the convoy, comprising of over 50 vehicles, and several volunteers gave out mattresses, hampers, 500 meals, cleaning supplies, water, coca cola and other items, to families in Woodland, San Francique, Debe and Bararckpore.
Roopnarine said there were still many people who have not gotten any assistance because the flood was “so extraordinary.” They intend to take the flood relief convoy to other areas next week. However, he said they were also considering another drive to assist people with furniture. He asked flood victims to contact him on 310-1083.