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Overseas based Guyanese woman thanks Kaieteur News for saving her life

Apr 11, 2010 News

Six years ago, Norma Barry, who operated a stall a mere one hundred yards from her Liliendaal Railway Embankment home, left for her business place in a buoyant mood. Several hours later, as she was returning home after a hard day’s work, a strange dizzy feeling pervaded her body. The dizziness was accompanied by tiredness.
Assuming that a few hours rest would have remedied the situation, Ms. Barry retired to bed.
She awoke some five hours later but instead of feeling refreshed, she felt nauseous. Naturally, she began to feel worried. The feeling did dissipate soon afterwards, only to return the following day.
From that day, onwards, the unpleasant symptoms nagged her and not understanding what was happening she succumbed to frustration and begged the Creator to take her life. Apparently, God had other plans in store and refused to do her bidding.
Ms Barry next sought medical intervention at the Woodlands Hospital. She said that though she was admitted on the doctor’s advice, the most stringent tests failed to uncover the nature of her problem.
“They all told me I was okay but the horrible feeling persisted and I knew deep down that something was wrong,” said Ms Barry.
She further disclosed that even after she was discharged from the medical institution, the nauseous feeling persisted. She decided to return for another check. This time she spoke with a doctor she remembers only as Dr. Fredericks.
After listening to her story, he ordered a brain scan. Imagine her horror when she was informed that she had a tumour on her brain. “I just could not believe it!” she declared.
It was also around that time that her husband, Gordon, was scheduled for an appointment at the United States of America Embassy to pick up his immigrant visa. He eventually did so and was further successful in acquiring a similar document for his wife.
The pair and their four children left for their new home soon afterwards but not before Ms Barry visited Kaieteur News to recite her story.
She said journalist, Mondale Smith, highlighted her plight and the response from the Guyanese community was indeed heartening. “I received cash donations as well as moral support,” said Ms Barry. She left Guyana for her new homeland, encouraged by the support received.
Ms Barry arrived in the USA and immediately sought the intervention of the medical specialists at the Howard University, Washington DC.
“The administrators at that institution told me that there was not much that they could have done for me because I did not have the requisite insurance”. It took Ms Barry approximately four months of diligent work, characterised by the solicitation of funds from the Guyanese Diaspora in the USA, to put the necessary ramifications in place for the issuance of an insurance policy.
After satisfying this criterion, the road became less hazy and on April 7, 2005, Ms Barry was booked for surgery. About two weeks later, she was wheeled into the operating theatre where doctors spent some five hours removing the tumour from her brain.
Ms Barry recently returned to Guyana for a well deserved holiday and visited Kaieteur News to express her gratitude to the many persons that have helped her in her times of trouble.
She said that her surgery cost somewhere around US$20,000 and had it not been for the assistance of Guyanese she might have been either stricken or dead. The doctors kept a close eye on her developments but to date, they have had no reason to be concerned for her health.
“I have done follow up therapy on about 27 occasions and I am happy to say that there have been no signs of the tumour,” said Ms Barry.
The woman is now able to spend quality time with her husband and children. She disclosed that her children are now much happier since she is able to be a part of their lives.
“I must thank God for all the wonderful people that have come to my aid,” said Ms Barry. She is also grateful to this newspaper for highlighting her plight which she said fostered the high level of support that acted as the catalyst to her new lease on life.

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