Disabled children are not wanted in Guyana

Aug 02, 2015 Letters

Dear Editor,
I refer to the article titled, “Boy abandoned at GPHC five years ago dies.”
Disabled children are not wanted in Guyana. Joshua Moonsammy is dead. Who was Joshua Moonsammy? He was the six-year   old boy who was rejected by his family and our society just because he had Cerebral Palsy.   He was only one year old when his family dumped him off at the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPHC) to fend for himself.
Joshua had only one simple wish before he died: he wanted to have a home and family. Was that too much for him to ask? And yet, he didn’t get it. He couldn’t get it because no one, and I mean no one cared to fulfill his wish. . Instead, his family and the government institutions kept him at the GPHC for five years until he died.
Editor, why did he die so young? Although the Cerebral Palsy may have contributed to his death, I believe Joshua died more from a broken heart. He died from a lack of love and care. He died from a deep deficit of despair, and increasing loneliness, isolation and lack of companionship. And he died because his family, country, government institutions and community rejected him.
Just as there was no room for Jesus when he was born, there was no home for Joshua when he was born. There is no place in our country for the disabled and disadvantaged and for orphans. Our society only caters to the able-bodied, proud, powerful, politically connected   and wealthy.
Editor, our society is only concerned about making money. Money is our god, and we worship it. It’s our idol that we bow down to.
Joshua remained at GPHC until he died because there are no children’s homes in our country to keep a child his age with Cerebral Palsy, which is sad, and I hope the government does something about it immediately. If they don’t, it would show that they don’t care.
The Bible warned us about mistreating orphans; God says he will kill us if we mistreat them. The Bible says:
“You shall not mistreat any widow or fatherless child. If you do mistreat them, and they cry out to me, I will surely hear their cry, and my wrath will burn, and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives shall become widows and your children fatherless” Exodus 22:22-24.
Joshua’s funeral will be on Monday, August 3 ( August Monday) at Lyken’s Funeral Home. I don’t know the time.   Interested citizens can contact Lyken for more information on the time. I’m asking everyone to come out to the funeral to show our support for him because it’s the least we can do.
Editor, it would be much appreciated if you could you publish this letter before Monday, August 3 so people can read it and come out to Joshua’s funeral.
Anthony Pantlitz

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