Physically challenged kids will not be left out today

Dec 24, 2008 News

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By Fareeza Haniff
While many of us woke up this morning surrounded by our loved ones and many gifts, some of the physically challenged children at the Ptolemy Reid Rehabilitation Center are spending their Christmas at the facility, and if lucky, their relatives would visit them today, but according to Nurse Keith Pellew, this is highly unlikely.
However, recognizing that today is a very important day being celebrated around the world, the rehab centre goes the extra mile to make it as special as possible for the children.
Approximately eight children stay in at the centre and almost all of them said that they rather spend the day at the facility as opposed to elsewhere.
Toda, members of the Lions Club of Guyana will make their usual visit to the centre with Santa Claus and will present a number of gifts to the children.
This is something Nurse Pellew said that the children look forward to every year, as the club members engage the kids in carol singing, and extend affection.
On this special day, the physically disabled kids are treated with pepper pot as is customary in most homes on Christmas morning, after which they open their gifts and have a ‘jolly time’ amongst themselves in their own unique way.
Most of the children have been living at the centre for almost their entire life, and according to Pellew, they share an exclusive bond which only they can understand in their own special way.
Their ages range from 16 years to 30, but it was explained that they have the mentality of much smaller children as their growth and development have been stymied.
Notwithstanding this, Santa Claus also makes his visit to the children, where a number of gifts are presented, and surprisingly Santa is not treated with his usual ‘cookies and milk’, but he also joins in with the annual Christmas lunch with the kids.
According to Nurse Pellew, this is mostly what the children look forward to every single year, as this is a special time for them.
The parents of most of these children do not live in Georgetown; some are in Port Mourant, Berbice and Essequibo, while the rehab centre cannot locate the others.
Take the case of 16-year-old Anil Pertab, who has been undergoing rehabilitation ever since he was a baby.
Nurse Pellew noted that his parents dropped him off at the centre when he was a few months old and would visit him from time to time.
When this newspaper visited Anil recently, he was in high spirits as his eyes were glued to the television set, with what seemed to be a thrilling cartoon.
He kept smiling most of the time, and did not hesitate to speak to the reporter, but was somewhat shy, as it was a strange visit for him.
Anil is being treated for paralysis on his right side, for which his brain is somewhat affected. Due to this he does not hear as he should, which results in delay in his actual development as a human being.
According to Nurse Pellew, Anil was born with the disability and is currently walking with a slant, with less activity on his right side.
The aim of the rehab centre is to keep Anil out of a wheelchair, as according to Nurse Pellew, if it wasn’t for the rehabilitation process, the young man would not have been able to walk.
Nurse Pellew said that the institution took Anil home for two weeks during the August holidays, but his parents returned him to the centre.
When Kaieteur News spoke with the young man, he said that he likes to be at home, but he enjoys being at the centre more, as he is surrounded by people that he knows and understands.
Most of all, he said that he likes the centre because of Nurse Pellew, whom he noted takes good care of him and because he gets to collect lots of gifts.
Meanwhile, also spending Christmas at the rehab center will be 17-year-old Roderick Griffith, who is being treated for ‘Down’s Syndrome’ and according to Nurse Pellew, Roderick can only make sense of what he sees on a daily basis, as his level of intelligence is that of a 4-year-old.

Like Anil, Roderick has been at the centre ever since he was a baby, and as it relates to his parents, all the centre has knowledge of is that his mother is deceased and his father cannot be located.
The nurse explained that unlike his other friends, Roderick is very active and is ‘big built’ as he eats as per normal.
Also at the center is Sherry, who cannot speak, but was aware that her photograph was being taken, and was quite excited about it. She is in a wheelchair and the rehab centre is unable to determine her exact age, but knows that she has been undergoing treatment at the facility for approximately 8 years.
There was also Frank, who is estimated to be about 17 years of age. Like Sherry, Frank is also in a wheelchair and cannot speak.
Both of them are undergoing rehabilitation for a paralysis in the brain, which according to Nurse Pellew causes incoordination of the movement of the limbs.
The nurse explained that whichever side of the brain is affected, they will find that the same side of the body is also being affected.
When this newspaper was there, Frank was all smiles, as he was very enthusiastic about the camera, for which he gave a very bright beam.
The oldest of the set of children who will be spending Christmas and the remainder of the holidays at the centre is Randolph. Just as his friend Roderick, he too is being treated for ‘Down’s Syndrome.’ The rehab centre is also unable to determine his exact age, but estimates that he is above 30 years old.
Randolph has been receiving treatment at the centre from the inception of the foundation and neither of his parents or any relatives can be located.
Despite this, the Ptolemy Reid Rehabilitation Centre does its best to make this day one which the children never regret, and one where they don’t feel ‘left out’.
According to Nurse Pellew, these children should not be ‘looked down on’ because they have a disability, but rather they should have the right to be part of society, so that they can feel accepted.
Only recently, the Ministry of Health held a march for persons with disabilities, where Minister of Health, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy revealed that the disability legislation will soon be introduced, so that persons with disabilities can defend their rights.

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