Guyana Watch assists fireman with prosthetic arm

Jan 24, 2009 News

By Tusika Martin

After losing his arm in a motorcycle accident, 23-year-old Walter Grant-Stuart will now receive a prosthetic arm with the help of Guyana Watch Inc.
The Guyana Fire Service employee was involved in a motorcycle accident three years ago at Goed Fortuin, West Bank Demerara, losing his right arm in the process.
Speaking with Kaieteur News yesterday, Stuart said that after losing his arm, he had to re-adjust his life.
This, he said, has had great physiological effect on him, as he has had to face life from a new dimension.
At the time of the accident, Stuart was living with his mother at Versailles, West Bank Demerara, but he has since moved to Soesdyke, because it is closer to work.
Despite the accident, the cyclist is still a fireman at the Timehri Fire Station.
He said that while he is hardly sent into the fields, he does most of the paper work in the office.
“At first it was very strange for me, because I had to learn to write with my left hand,” he said.
His social life, he added, was affected at first, but now he has a lot of friends.

President of the Guyana Watch Inc, Tony Yassin (center) along with Walter Grant-Stuart and his father, Aaron Grant-Stuart

Last year, when the Guyana Watch medical team was in Guyana, Stuart’s father, Aaron Stuart, decided to meet with them to discuss the possibility of his son receiving a prosthetic arm.
Less than a year later, Guyana Watch Inc. has decided to assist Stuart, providing him with the airfare and accommodation expenses for himself and his father to travel to the United States.
The Bio Designs Inc in California will be providing Stuart with a prophetic arm at a cost of US$10,000.
Yesterday, the senior Stuart said that the Ministry of Health and the National Insurance Scheme have covered the expenses for the arm.
BK International also made a contribution to this cause.
However, the father and son are yet to raise a final US$2,000 for personal expenses pertaining to their stay.
The two will leave for the US next week.
In spite of his disability, Stuart is a cyclist who has won several races.
Just under a month ago, he was featured in the sports section of one of the local daily newspaper for his outstanding performances despite his disability.
Over the years, Guyana Watch has rendered medical assistance to more than 45,000 persons throughout the length and breadth of Guyana through its medical outreach programmes.
The organisation has also completed more than 28 heart surgeries and 58 cataract surgeries.
The New York-based organization has also assisted in the development of a 32 workstation computer laboratory at the University of Guyana campus at Berbice, along with many other charitable ventures in Guyana.