Local physiotherapist and allied health professional, Ms. Gloria Garraway, is a ‘Special Person’

Jul 04, 2021 News, Special Person

Serving the health sector for over 40 years…

“I have no regrets in the career path I chose. With all the difficulties and trials, I live by the late Nelson Mandela’s quote ‘the greatest glory in living lies not in ever falling; but in rising after every fall’.”

By Rehanna Ramsay

There are many categories of workers whose behind the scenes efforts help the health sector conduct its function at premium capacity. Local physiotherapist and allied health professional, Ms. Gloria Garraway, is one such person. Ms. Garraway has dedicated most of her life towards providing rehabilitation services to the people of her hometown in Linden, Region 10 and its surrounding environs, by working to help those in need of rehab to get back on their feet.

Physiotherapist, Gloria Garraway M.S.

Ms. Garraway, who is set to retire this month, has been providing rehab services for 43 years, of which, 35 was spent servicing the Bauxite Company and then the Linden Hospital Complex.
And as a past President of the Guyana Physiotherapy Association and a member of the Allied Health Professionals’ Council, Ms. Garraway was also instrumental in improving the level of rehab services available in Guyana.
The physiotherapist was part of the decision-making process, which led to the expansion and modernisation of the rehabilitation services in Guyana over the course of decades. She explained, “In 1984, we offered physiotherapy only in a small room and today, we have a state-of-the-art department where physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy audiology is provided.”
The physiotherapist also helped in the advancement of the service at the Mackenzie Hospital in Linden and at healthcare facilities in Wismar and Kwakwani. She is currently the secretary of the Linden Supporting Efforts for the Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (LINSEED), a non-profit organisation for persons with disabilities. She is also an active member of Christ the King Anglican Church serving as a Lay Minister and member of the Mother’s Union and vestry.
The physiotherapist has received a number of trophies from the Ministry of Health’s Rehabilitation Services for her achievements over the years, which resulted in her receipt of a National Award (Medal of Service) M.S. in 2019.

Ms. Garraway and her team of rehabilitation personnel.

Added to her list of achievement, this week’s ‘Special Person’ is also a mother, grandmother and mentor to the rehabilitation assistants under her wings. She told Kaieteur News that while her childhood dream was to take up which would reflect her strict Catholic upbringing, she also wanted to show benevolence to her fellow mankind. As such, she opted to become a physiotherapist as the tenets of the occupation “fit like a glove”.
“I once thought of becoming a nun as I was in awe of them and loved to attend Mass in the chapel and felt my spiritual awakening there but I was a shy teenager who always wanted to help others in need and saw myself as being of service to others,” Garraway said of her youthful ambition. She added too that, “helping others especially those who are physically challenged; my motivation is being able to empower those persons to be as independent as possible and play an active role in society.”
To this end, the healthcare worker has several stories of how her work helped others overcome physical difficulties to resume their role contributing meaningfully to society.
She noted too that being a physiotherapist allows her to treat the client holistically, and because of “our hands-on approach, they feel comfortable sharing fears, pains and insecurities with us, which helps in their overall wellness.”

A ROUNDED CHILDHOOD
Born on February 28, 1957 at Middle and Camp Streets, Georgetown to Mrs. Elaine Garraway and the late, John Garraway, the physiotherapist is the second of the four-sibling household.
Garraway told Kaieteur News during an interview, however, that she and another sibling eventually grew up with her grandmother, the late Mrs. Hermione Belfast, after her parents separated.

With family: Ms. Garraway is pictured with her son, daughter and granddaughter after the National Award Ceremony in 2019.

The young Garraway was in Primary School when she went to live with her grandmother, in Charlestown.
“She had a white cottage with a picket fence. There were fruit trees and I remember being the tomboy, liking to climb the big guava tree in front of the yard. I loved playing with my brother who was older, and his friends,” Ms. Garraway said of her childhood.
She noted that her upbringing was quite nurturing and balanced. Her grandmother brought her and her siblings up with Christian values and only during the August holidays, they were allowed to travel to Bartica to spend time with her father’s relatives.
“We attended Smith Congregational Church every Sunday, church during the morning and Sunday school in the afternoon. She also made the sacrifice to ensure all her grandchildren receive a sound education. She believed that having an education would ensure our independence and achieve our dreams,” Garraway stated.
Recalling the words of her precious grandmother, Ms. Garraway said, “She always told the three girls that books and boys don’t agree, and after getting your education, the boys would still be around for us to have our pick.”
Back in those days, the physiotherapist said, “The community helped to raise the children so one had to be on his or her best behaviour not only at home.”
After attending the St. Stephen’s Primary School where she passed the Common Entrance Examinations, Garraway gained a spot at the Bishops’ High School, the top all-girls school at the time. She was saddened however when her grandmother opted to send her to St. Rose’s High School, a Catholic school where the Ursuline Sisters would help to mould her young mind.
Garraway admits that everything later worked out for the best.

CAREER PURSUITS
After completing High School, her brother saw an advertisement asking for physiotherapy trainees to join the Ministry of Health. She was encouraged to pursue it. She explained that, “I don’t like receiving injections; needles are scary to me, so nursing was not my interest. I applied and joined the Ministry of Health as a Physiotherapy Trainee in 1975.”
The young Garraway spent the next few months at the Georgetown Public Hospital before leaving for the School of Physical Therapy, Jamaica that same year.
She recalled that it was the first time leaving her sheltered life to venture out on her own.

At church with my family, Ms. Garraway is a Lay Minister at Christ the King Anglican Church in Mackenzie Linden.

Nevertheless, the young trainee thoroughly enjoyed the experience.
She noted that, “meeting students from various Caribbean islands and gaining experience in physiotherapy skills, I represented the people of Guyana, whose taxpayers’ money was funding my training. As such, I saw it as my duty to be successful and return to serve my country.”
When she returned to Guyana in 1978, Garraway joined the staff of the Physiotherapy Department at the Georgetown Public Hospital.
Given the nature of her job, Garraway spent a lot of time travelling and treating patients. She noted that treating the athletes at the Sports Clinic and travelling with the football team to Suriname in 1980 for the Confederation of North, Central America, and the Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) tournament was a privilege.
She later travelled with the rugby team to Trinidad also as their physiotherapist. And in the early 80’s, Ms Garraway was also one of the therapists who travelled weekly to treat clients at the NIS building in New Amsterdam.
She explained, “I was recruited to work six months at the Mackenzie Hospital in early 1984 and was asked by the then Medical Superintendent to fill the vacant position there. I resigned after six years with the Ministry to join the Mining Company as a Physiotherapist. It has been 37 years of service to the community and, according to Ms Garraway, “I am going on pre-retirement leave this month.”

Ms. Garraway is pictured with her colleagues at a function for National Rehab Week.

As it is with most career paths, Garraway’s efforts as a physiotherapist were met with challenges.
She noted that, “Some of the challenges over the years were being unable to receive all the equipment/tools needed to enhance the service we provide, and, because of financial constraints, clients are unable to access the department as often as they should.”
But like with most careers, there are highlights. “A great achievement that I am proud to have been a part of is the decision-making process. We have also been able to integrate children with physical disabilities into the public school system. As we all know, they have the right to an education.”
“In fact, we have someone with cerebral palsy who attended secondary school and was very successful at CSEC and now has his own business. Only this past week, he came to ask for my advice,” Ms. Garraway said.

SUPPORT BASE
Touching on her personal life, Ms. Garraway, who was married in 1988 and is a mother of two adoring adult children, noted her family has been very supportive of her career. “When the need arose for me to be out of the region or overseas, my late father was in the home to supervise the children when they were of school age…,” she recalled. Her children are Tristan Nelson and he works at Micro Design Technology (MDT) in Georgetown and Najuma Nelson (daughter) is a senior Chemist at DDL.
Besides her profession, Ms. Garraway said her greatest achievement is being able to raise three children (including her niece whom she cared for with her offsprings), to be individuals of whom she is proud of. She is also a doting grandmother to Alexi, her granddaughter who is three years old.
Asked if there are any regrets about work-life, the physiotherapist told this newspaper, “I have no regrets in the career path I chose. With all the difficulties and trials, I live by the late Nelson Mandela’s quote ‘the greatest glory in living lies not in ever falling; but in rising after every fall’.”
As such, she advises young aspirants are to follow their dream, pursue a career that they love. “Follow your passion and always treat others how you would want them to treat you,” she said.